


Reliving History

by Saberian_Dream



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Action, Drama, Family Fluff, Mystery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-08-13 16:02:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 31,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20176987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saberian_Dream/pseuds/Saberian_Dream
Summary: Cell flees back to the time of the 23rd tournament and invites Gohan to join him there.





	1. Entering the Tournament

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GohanLSSJ2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GohanLSSJ2/gifts), [PrismBunny90](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrismBunny90/gifts).

> Some light Goku/Gohan fluff. No slash.

Gohan strolled down the streets of Papaya Island, so lost in his own mind that the outside world appeared to be little more than a blur to him, seemingly passing by at its own uninteresting pace.

_How did I end up here?_ he wondered. But deep inside, he already knew the answer. _I should have killed Cell immediately! If I had, Father wouldn't be dead and Cell..._ Gohan involuntarily clenched his fist, his brows furrowing. _I shouldn't have underestimated Cell! Now, I've got to find him and stop him before he does any more damage to this time, too._

Gohan looked up and was surprised to find himself at the front gate of the World Martial Arts Tournament building, so lost in thought had he been that he hadn't noticed where he was going, his feet moving by of their own accord.

It had been only three days since he had arrived here, and beyond that, two weeks since the end of the Cell Games, at which time Cell had stolen Trunks's time machine from his dead body, and fled into the past. He could remember all too clearly the last words Cell had imparted to him before he left, as though they were burned into his psyche:

_"It seems that I have underestimated you Saiyans one time too many, but I assure you, this is a mistake I will soon rectify. I'm afraid that I am going to have to take my leave of you now. But if you wish to follow me, then I expect to see you, Gohan, at the conclusion of the event known as the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament. If you cannot stop me, you can say goodbye to the Earth of that time too! Until then."_

And with that, Cell placed two fingertips to his forehead and vanished, leaving a very stunned Gohan and the remaining Z Fighters behind.

Fortunately for them, they were able to locate Trunks's other time machine, the one Cell had hijacked and used to get to their time in search of Androids 17 and 18. It was wrecked beyond repair, but after a few weeks of research, Bulma was able to replicate another one. Its power was limited, she informed them, and could only be used for two trips, whereas the one Trunks had returned in was capable of four, but it would work well enough to follow Cell back in time and get the time traveler in question home to boot.

Gohan had volunteered, despite vehement protests from Chi-Chi. In the end, Gohan was able to convince her that if he didn't stop Cell before Goku and Chi-Chi got together, he would destroy the Earth and prevent him from ever being born. And Gohan felt that, as the one responsible for their current mess, it was his job to seek out Cell and destroy him.

"And now here I am, Gohan muttered to himself. "Well, I'll make sure you don't win this time, Cell. That's a promise."

Walking up to the registration desk, Gohan stood expectantly in front of the tournament worker working behind the desk, waiting patiently for the man to notice him. The man glanced up, noticing Gohan for the first time. "Hello," he said to Gohan. "Are you here to compete in the tournament or to watch?"

"Uh, compete," Gohan said.

After two weeks of contemplation back in his own time, Gohan had decided that the best way to find Cell might be to lure him out into the open. He hadn't exactly ordered Gohan to compete in the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament, after all, but Gohan had a feeling that competing in the tournament would draw out Cell more quickly. Of course, fighting in the tournament also meant seeing his dad again, as well as a lot of his other old friends too. This was going to be a very trying next couple of days.

"Okay. If I could just have your name, please, we'll be all set," the worker said.

"My name's Go..." Gohan caught himself just in time.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" the worker said in confusion.

_I can't use my real name or the others will discover me!_ Gohan thought anxiously. _If I do anything to interfere in this timeline, the other me might not be born. I've got to think of something else!_

"Sir?" the tournament worker prompted.

Gohan blurted out the first name he could think of.

"Icarus. My name's Icarus," he said quickly.

The worker blinked his eyes, but after a moment said, "Okay, Icarus, you're signed up. To be sure, you do understand that the tournament is not responsible for any injuries you might receive, and that foreign objects are not allowed, excepting claws and other natural weapons?"

Gohan nodded.

"Then good luck. Off with you now," the tournament worker replied, shooing Gohan away.

Gohan chuckled softly. He was about to move away when he sensed a dozen familiar ki signals heading his way. Turning his head, he saw two taxis drive up. The doors opened, and out stepped the occupants.

Gohan almost seized up.

They were undoubtedly younger versions of his friends. There was Krillin, Yamcha, Master Roshi, Bulma, Puar and Oolong, Turtle, and a blonde-haired woman Gohan personally didn't know, but could only assume must be the infamous Launch he had heard so much about from his friends.

Gohan watched in numb shock as they approached the registration counter, his mind going a thousand miles an hour. _I didn't expect to see them again so soon! But where's Daddy? Why isn't he with them?_ Reaching out with his ki senses, he detected his father's own familiar ki signature, a few hundred miles off, but still on the same island.

"He'd better hurry," Oolong was saying. "If he's not careful, he'll miss the entries."

"It's not like him to be late. I sure hope he didn't forget what day it is," Master Roshi said pensively.

"Hey, is that him?" Bulma suddenly shouted.

Gohan started, and to his surprise and horror his future friends were now staring at him. Unable to think of anything to say, too stunned to even move, Gohan could only stand there, the unintentional center of attention for his friends' penetrating eyes, blinking and sweating profusely.

_Now what am I going to do?_ Gohan thought in terror. _I've got to say something, but I can't move at all! It feels like my body is frozen! I didn't think seeing them in this time would be __this__ hard!_

But not a moment had passed when Master Roshi said, "Hm? No, it isn't, but he sure looks like him."

He moved closer to Gohan. Gohan managed to bite down the blind panic that had threatened to overwhelm him, mentally repeating a calming mantra that Piccolo had taught him before the arrival of the Saiyans. Master Roshi stared at Gohan perplexedly, tilting his head to the side, as if attempting to figure him out. "Hello. I'm the Turtle Hermit, Master Roshi. Sorry if we scared you. We thought you were someone we knew. Are you here to compete in the World Martial Arts Tournament?"

Taking in a deep breath and trying to ignore the sudden thundering of his frightened heart, Gohan nodded and said in as steady a voice as he could muster, "Um, yeah. My name's Goha..." Biting down what he had been about to say, Gohan said instead, "Uh, Icarus. My name is Icarus."

"Icarus, huh?" Yamcha said. "That's an unusual name. Say, where do you come from, kid?"

Gohan gulped. "Uh, I live in the 439 Mountain Area, near Mt. Paozu," he said.

It wasn't a lie, technically; back in his time, he did live there, along with his mother and father, so he hoped that they would accept his story without question.

To his immense relief, they seemed to buy this, but not without some surprise.

"Mt. Paozu?" Bulma repeated. "That's over two thousand miles away. You must really be dedicated to fighting in this tournament."

Gohan laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head, a trait he had inherited from his father.

"You're not Goku, but you sure do act a lot like him," Krillin observed. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that the two of you were related."

Gohan removed his hand from his head, hoping to correct his error. "Uh, yeah, well, I don't even know this Goku. Is he a friend of yours?" he asked, cursing his own inborn honesty and the difficulties with lying that this entailed. He hoped that the change in subject would detract their attention from him, at least for the moment.

Thankfully, this seemed to have done the trick, for they all glanced down the road leading off into the distance.

"Yes, he is, but for some reason he's not here," Bulma said. "And he was really looking forward to the competition."

"He'll wait to show up at the last minute. Just watch," Oolong snorted.

"I don't see what all the fuss is about," the blonde-headed woman suddenly retorted. "Fighting with rules, how boring."

Gohan stared at the woman. _Wow, is she really serious?_

"If anyone else but you had said that, I would have thought they were bragging," Turtle said.

"Sweet sauerkraut," Gohan heard Master Roshi say from behind him, his hyper-sensitive hearing enabling him to pick up every word quite clearly, "I almost forgot to sign up."

Fighting down a jolt of sudden surprise, Gohan followed Master Roshi with his ki senses. He didn't know Master Roshi had competed in the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament! He listened to him speaking with the tournament worker in hushed tones.

"Say, there's a name I'd like to enter in the tournament," he told the man. "Jackie Chun."

Gohan nearly jumped out of his skin. _Master Roshi is Jackie Chun? He's the one who defeated my father in the first World Martial Arts Tournament?_

The tournament worker appeared to be having a similar reaction.

"Jackie Chun?" he repeated. "You don't mean THE Jackie Chun who won the championship at the last competition? I don't believe it, you're him?"

"Shhh!" Master Roshi shushed, turning back to face the others. Gohan managed to avert his gaze in time, but inwardly he was confused. _Why would Master Roshi enter under a different name? Was he trying to avoid the fame? Somehow, I don't think so. So then, why was he doing this?_ He made a mental note to ask Master Roshi about it later; obviously he wanted to keep it a secret, so that's what Gohan was going to do.

"Oh, there's only five minutes left!" Bulma exclaimed, looking at her watch.

"He's not gonna make it," Oolong said pessimistically.

Gohan was tempted to tell them that Goku was getting very close, but that would lead to awkward questions as to how he knew that, so he bit his tongue and kept quiet. Although it was weaker and significantly different than that of the Goku he knew, Gohan could sense his father's distinct ki, and knew that he would be here within minutes, with just enough time left to register at the front desk.

"Master, Goku is going to make it in time, isn't he?" Krillin said to Master Roshi, who had returned silently.

"Just keep your eye on that road, he'll be here," Master Roshi said confidently.

"Uh, hey, you were chatting with that clerk like you were best friends," Turtle observed, glancing upwards at Master Roshi.

"That's none of your business!" Master Roshi snapped.

"Hello," a voice behind them announced.

"Hm?" Master Roshi said, turning around.

Gohan followed suit, as did the rest of the future Z Fighters.

There were three people standing there behind them, two of them very familiar to Gohan. It was, without a doubt, the younger counterparts of Tien and Chiaotzu, but they looked very, very different from the ones in his time. Unlike the Tien and Chiaotzu back home, the fighters standing in front of him looked smug, and there was an inner darkness in them that Gohan had never sensed before around the two.

The last person finishing the trio was someone who Gohan had never seen before, in either of the timelines. Standing higher than Chiaotzu, but slightly shorter than Tien, he wore the same green tunic with yellow-and-black pants and a symbol of a crane on his outfit. Perched atop his head was a hat that strongly resembled a crane and a pair of dark sunglasses completed the look. Overall, he reminded Gohan of a darker version of Master Roshi.

"Nice to see you've come out of your shell, Master Roshi," he said haughtily.

"Hm, Hermit Crane, what a surprise," Master Roshi sniffed. "After all these years you're still alive?"

"The lines on your face are just as deep, old friend," the man retorted.

"Well, that was rude," Bulma said.

"Relax, I didn't come here to start trouble," the man said smoothly. "In fact, I heard a silly little whisper that your pupils did quite well during the last tournament. I guess the saying is true, 'Anything can happen.'"

Gohan felt a sudden swell of indignation at the man's comment. _Who is this guy? And why is he talking about Father and Master Roshi like that?_

"What's it to you, huh?!" Roshi snapped.

"You're out of your league, Roshi, admit it! You were privileged by my absence last time, but we both know fighting against my team is an exercise in futility. Not even Jackie Chun could handle my boys," the man said snidely. "Do yourself a favor and go home!"

There was a moment of tense silence, then the man burst out laughing.

"I sympathize with your crew, I really, really do. Inadequacy is always such a tough pill to swallow, but it sure beats public humiliation."

"Thanks for the concern, it's nice to see some things haven't changed, like you're still full of hot air," Master Roshi shot back.

Suddenly the two got in each other's faces, snarling angrily and glaring daggers at the other.

"You'd better stay out my way!" the man yelled.

"We're not turning tail for you or anyone!" Master Roshi shouted.

Gohan didn't know what to feel on this issue, but he knew he couldn't allow this to erupt into bloodshed. Stepping in between the two, he held out his arms to both sides and said, "Master Roshi, please, stop fighting! What's there to be upset over? Can't we talk about this?"

Master Roshi tried gently shoving Gohan away, but Gohan refused to budge. After a few terse minutes, the other man backed away, laughing. "You have this little boy to thank for my sparing you, Roshi, but make no mistake, I won't extend the same generosity twice!" Returning to Tien and Chiaotzu, the man turned to head into the gates, uttering a final insult, "You've been warned, now suffer the consequences! Let's go, I've wasted enough time on these fools!"

The three departed.

"Who was that?" Gohan wondered. _And what are Tien and Chiaotzu doing with him?_ he added silently.

"Hmph, he's known as Master Shen, but I used to call him 'friend,'" Master Roshi said gravely. Looking down at Gohan, he added, "You shouldn't have gotten involved, Icarus. Shen and his pupils are ruthless men. They won't hesitate a second to take their vengeance out on you. Do not provoke their wrath."

Gohan was about to answer that he wasn't afraid of this Shen person when Oolong shouted, "Time's almost up! We have 1 minute left!"

"He's late!" Turtle exclaimed.

"Relax," Yamcha said, turning to his trusty feline familiar. "Puar, I want you to transform into Goku and register as him."

"Right!" Puar said.

"No!" Gohan snapped, shocking everyone. His father's ki was very near. "He'll be here."

Yamcha was just about to retort when suddenly a dust cloud appeared on the horizon. At closer glance it was revealed to be a person... it was Goku!

"Look, he's right!" Launch said. "Here he is!"

"Hello, everybody!" Goku called to them. "Wait up, I'm coming!"

It took all of Gohan's willpower not to launch himself at Goku in tears and apologize over and over again, seeking his pardon for his erroneous judgment in handling Cell. His father's death was like an open wound, made worse especially by the fact that it was his fault, he had been responsible. If he hadn't wanted to make Cell suffer... and now, seeing his father again, so young and innocent and carefree and unaware of what the future held... it was almost too much for Gohan to bear.

Goku came to a stop in front of them. "Long time no see!" His friends rushed over, completely ignoring Gohan.

Gohan watched through a numb haze as Goku and his friends conversed happily, reunited after a long period of being apart. Gohan suddenly didn't want to be there anymore. He was vaguely aware of them talking, standing off to the side, fighting against tears.

He had failed his father! If only he hadn't been so stupid! He had let his new powers go to his head, and his father had paid the ultimate price for his arrogance. _I shouldn't be here!_ Gohan thought miserably. _I don't even deserve to stand in their presence. I'm no hero. I let my Daddy die. It should have been me, not him! It should have been __me__!_

Gohan stared miserably at the ground, unaware of the shadow that fell over him.

"Uh, excuse me, but who are you?"

Gohan froze.

He looked up.


	2. Ghosts of the Past

Gohan stood speechless, unable to tear his eyes off the young boy who was standing in front of him, his head tilted sideways, staring at Gohan quizzically. The boy was a bit shorter than him, with black hair pointing up and to the right, as though permanently defying gravity, a furry brown tail, and he wore a Tarzan-style pelt fashioned from what looked like the skin of leopards.

For a moment, Gohan could only stare at him, drinking in the sight of his younger father, too lost in his own raging emotions to even think of how to respond to Goku's question, much less answer it. Everything about him, his eyes, his face, even his expressions, all of it was the same, despite his obvious younger characteristics. Looking into the innocent eyes of the younger version of his father, Gohan found he couldn't maintain contact, and hastily looked away.

"Um, I... don't know, what you mean?" Gohan stammered uncertainly.

The child's inquisitive gaze deepened, and he said, "Uh, hey, do we know each other? You look a lot like me."

Now the sensing the others' gazes on him as well, Gohan swallowed and forced himself to answer as calmly as he could manage. "Er, no, I don't really think so. Honest. You see, my name's Icarus," he said with a nervous laugh, trying not to let his anxiety show.

Now Goku laughed heartily and loudly, something that sounded like pure music to Gohan. He hadn't heard his father laugh so earnestly for a long time, first with the impending danger of the androids, and then with the last few days leading up to the Cell Games. "That's a funny name!" he chortled. "Are you fighting in the tournament? I'd love to go up against you. I can tell you're really strong."

Gohan couldn't help but to smile a little. He simply nodded, too overwhelmed to speak.

"Oh, come on Goku, leave him alone," Bulma interrupted, sounding amused. "You don't want to terrify the poor boy."

Goku laughed again. "Sorry," he said, still chuckling. "I just get so excited when it comes to fighting. I hope you do well in the tournament."

Gohan grinned. "Thanks."

Master Roshi cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention back to him. "Well, since we're all here and registered for the tournament, what do you say we go and grab a bite to eat?"

"Food!" Goku exclaimed, warming to the subject of his favorite pastime.

Master Roshi nodded. "It's customary to feast before a big fight, and since they don't come any bigger than the World Martial Arts Tournament, we should dine on the best meal this town has to offer!"

The others all voiced their agreement on the matter, turning away and walking off in happy conversation. Suddenly, Goku turned around and spared a quick glance at Gohan, who had remained behind, frowning intently and staring down at the ground. Murmuring a quick word to his friends, Goku hurried back to him and asked, "Hey, since you're also fighting in the tournament, why don't you come with us? There's going to be plenty of food!"

Gohan nearly winced. He didn't want to get too close to his father or his other future friends — his stay here was only temporary, after all — and in any case, he still harbored feelings of guilt and great sorrow regarding the tragic incident with Cell and his father. But how could he refuse him? Goku was standing there in front of him, smiling and humming and looking at Gohan expectantly, a huge grin on his face. This could very well be his last opportunity to spend some time with his father for a very long time; back in his world, once they had summoned the Eternal Dragon to undo all of the damage done by Cell, Goku had contacted them from Other World and told them that he had decided not to return to life for fear of reprisal from their longtime villains. It was heartbreaking to the young half-Saiyan, but Gohan had tried to respect his father's decision.

_I suppose there's no harm in having dinner with them,_ Gohan thought, his spirits lifting slightly. _Besides, I really want to see what Father was like as a young child. But I'm going to have to watch my step carefully from now on; I can't cause any significant changes to the timeline or I won't be born._

"Fine, I guess that's okay," Gohan agreed.

"Super!" Goku said, wrapping an arm around Gohan's shoulders and leading him back to his friends.

The group headed off, chatting easily amongst themselves as they moved on, not even noticing a worried-looking Master Roshi dawdling behind, staring morosely at his empty wallet.

* * *

After fifty-six servings of bread, rice, fried chicken, pudding, mashed potatoes, pasta, fish, goose, fried turkey, dumplings, and roasted ham, Gohan realized just how hungry a half-Saiyan child surviving for three days on only fish and the occasional stray wolf could be, as had been his case while he was waiting for the World Martial Arts Tournament.

Gohan had almost forgotten where and when he was, but now, he was vividly reminded of it when he noticed all of the others staring at him in complete and utter shock, all but Goku, who was leaning back in his chair with his hands over his tummy, completely stuffed.

"Wow, that's thirty-four full-course meals," Bulma said dumbly.

"Thirty-four? I lost count at nineteen," Yamcha said in disbelief.

"I've never seen anyone but Goku eat that much," Krillin observed.

Now suddenly very aware of the situation he was in, Gohan desperately thought of a way to get out of it. Unfortunately, none came to him. Self-consciously rubbing his stomach, Gohan stuttered, "Uh, so, um, uh, should I have skipped that last helping of rhubarb crumble?"

The rest of the group fell over. _Oh, man, I don't think that worked! Now what?_

Luckily for Gohan, his rescue came in the form of his younger father. "Ahhh," he said, letting out a long sigh of contentment, "that was good. I wonder if I should save room for dessert?"

The others fell over again, but inwardly Gohan breathed a sigh of relief. _At least their attention is on Father now, rather than me,_ he thought, greatly reassured.

As they were leaving the restaurant, Gohan noticed Master Roshi loitering behind at the counter, looking incredibly anxious. Shrugging, he made his way outside with the rest of his future friends, listening to them rather than joining in, lest he accidentally let something slip and make them even more suspicious of him.

_Cell is out there somewhere, I can just feel it,_ Gohan reflected. _But he must be suppressing his ki; I can't sense him anywhere, not even on neighboring planets. What's his game? What's he playing at? Why did he choose this specific time?_ Gohan suddenly remembered what Cell and Dr. Gero himself had told them about the impetus behind the creation of the androids. _They said Daddy defeated the old Red Ribbon Army and that Dr. Gero wanted revenge on him for interfering in his plans for world domination! But, if Cell is here to kill Father, why hasn't he just done it already? By his account, he's had all the time in the world to do so!_ Gohan shook his head, feeling the symptoms of a migraine coming on. He was overanalyzing this to death. He took in a deep breath and calmed his mind. _Piccolo's right; you must always have a plan of action rather than just charging headlong into battle. I have to be patient. Cell will reveal himself eventually. Until then, I'll wait._

"... was training with Master Roshi as challenging as it was last time?" Gohan heard Goku saying, tuning himself back into the conversation.

"Definitely," Krillin said. "If you remember the program we did together, multiply that by a hundred. When I wasn't farming and delivering milk, I was lugging around 100-pound stones!"

"100-pound stones?" Goku repeated with a smile. "That does sound challenging."

Krillin chuckled. "Hey, new kid," he said, turning to Gohan.

"Uh, yeah?" Gohan asked, wondering what Krillin could possibly want with him.

"How strong are you?" Krillin asked. "I mean, I know we're practically pros, so you probably don't know what you're getting yourself into, but just tell me: What's your record?"

_What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?_ Gohan wondered.

"Well," Gohan began slowly, trying his best to ignore the sweat dripping down his brow, "I can, uh..." _I don't want to appear as strong as they are, otherwise they'll get suspicious of me, but if I make a mistake and look __too__ strong, they'll know I'm lying!_ "I can, hmm..." _Think, Gohan, think!_ "... lift large boulders, um, probably around 100 pounds, sometimes even 150. I also, uh... well, I do swimming, mostly, and I think my personal best is, er... well, maybe 55, 60 miles an hour. I also, uh, can jump really high, and I have tough skin and know how to throw a punch. Um, honestly, I know how to fight, I've been fighting since I was five years old." There, that now, that was the truth, at least partly; yes, he had been fighting since he was that young, ever since Piccolo had kidnapped him in preparation for the Saiyans.

"All right, calm down, kid, there's no reason to act so nervous," Yamcha laughed. "It sounds to me like you're pretty good, but I warn you, if we get in the ring together, I won't be going easy on you."

Despite himself, Gohan laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

Just then, Master Roshi stumbled out of the restaurant, looking pale and a little strained. He nearly tripped as he made his way over to the rest of them.

"You don't look well," Turtle observed. "What's the matter? Was there a problem with the manager?"

"How many times do I have to tell you to be quiet and mind your own business?!" Master Roshi uncharacteristically snapped.

Suddenly becoming acutely aware of the stares of all of the others now on him, Master Roshi placed a hand on the back of his head and laughed rather loudly. "Eh, I don't know what came over me, must have been, uh, something in the soup." He abruptly changed the subject, probably looking to distract them. "Hey, I've got a good idea. Why don't we all go back to the hotel and watch some dirty mov —" And when he noticed all the others glaring at him, rapidly changed his tune. "I mean, relax! Maybe play a nice game of cards?"

The others all murmured their assent. Bulma turned around to face Gohan. "Hey, Icarus?" she asked.

"Hm?" Gohan wondered, drawing his attention away from Master Roshi and his sudden peculiar behavior.

"You don't have a place to stay, do you?" she asked.

Gohan shook his head. "Not really... I was planning on finding a nice cave to sleep in, or..."

"What?!" Bulma exclaimed. "That's ridiculous! You can't survive on the outside alone!" Gohan looked rather shocked, but after a moment, she shook her head and said, "Well, that settles it. You can back with us and sleep at the hotel."

"What?!" Yamcha, Krillin, and Master Roshi exclaimed, not liking the idea of this strange boy sharing a room with them.

"R-Really?" Gohan said happily. "Are you sure it wouldn't be an imposition?"

"Of course not," Bulma said, beaming at Gohan, but also appearing a trifle smug at her handiwork.

"B-B-B-B-But..." Master Roshi began petulantly.

Bulma whirled on him, her hands on her hips, eyes flaring. Master Roshi cowered. "Now, listen here, all of you! This poor kid doesn't have a place of his own to stay, and if you'll just come down off your high and mighty horses, you'll see that I'm right! He's a sweet little boy, and he has nowhere else to go, so if you don't shut up right now and just accept it I swear I'll make you all so miserable you'll be begging for mercy for the rest of your lives! So Icarus is coming and he is staying at the hotel!"

"Yeah, I can vouch for that," Launch added conversationally, twirling her trademark gun around her index finger.

"Any objections?" Bulma finished sweetly.

The three males shook their heads, hoping to be spared the wrath of the Angry, Vengeful Women.

"Good," Bulma replied with a smug smirk on her face, while the boy they were... ahem, conversing about stood riveted to the ground, blushing furiously at Bulma referring to him as a "sweet little boy."

An arm was draped over his shoulder. He turned around.

It was Goku.

"It's okay," he said consolingly. "She's always like that. Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

Gohan chuckled.

* * *

The ride back to the hotel was uneventful, although a bit tense, as the three offenders huddled together in the back, afraid of incurring the wrath of the all-powerful scary women. The evening ended with a rather spirited game of Old Maid, which Master Roshi lost in a spectacular fashion, and before anyone knew it was well into the night.

Master Roshi called it a night so that they could get their rest for the big tournament tomorrow, and they all retreated to their respective sleeping quarters. Gohan watched with mild exasperation as Roshi crept into the girls' room, smacking his hand into his forehead. Any second now...

KAPOW!

Yup, there it was, and not a minute later, Master Roshi emerged from their room, his glasses shattered and smacked into his face, a thin trickle of blood running down his nose. He approached the Master, hoping to get a word in with him while they were still alone out in the hallway...

"Huh? Oh, it's you, Icarus," Master Roshi said as soon as he had gotten closer. "What can I do for you?"

"Master Roshi," Gohan began, a bit hesitantly, because he didn't want to cause trouble or draw more attention to himself, but in the end his overpowering curiosity got the better of him. "You're Jackie Chun, aren't you?" he said bluntly.

Master Roshi started in surprise, backing up a few paces, his face a mask of undisguised shock. Quickly realizing this, he hurriedly hitched an unconvincing expression of surprise-but-indifference unto his face and said rather loudly, "What? Me, Jackie Chun? That handsome devil? Noooo, you must have made a mistake! Why on Earth would you ever think that?"

"I heard you, Master Roshi," Gohan said sincerely. "When you were talking to that desk clerk, I heard it all. I... have sensitive hearing," he added.

For a moment, Master Roshi seemed to have forgotten what Gohan had just said and looked suddenly intrigued. "Oh? Really? Hm, that reminds me of Goku," he said wistfully. "That boy could hear a pin drop from a mile away, but he could never understand the importance of..." But Master Roshi suddenly snapped back to the present with lightning-quick speed, and gulped. "But, seriously, you heard... every word I said?" At Gohan's nod, Master Roshi looked positively desperate. He sank to his knees, prostrating himself before Gohan. "Please, Icarus, you can't reveal my secret! Please, I know it sounds strange, but I'm only doing this for the sake of my students, and if I let them know then my ruse is shot! I want your word that you're not gonna tell them!"

"Whoa, Master Roshi, it's okay, I promise I won't," Gohan soothed. "It's not my secret to tell, anyway. But why are you doing this, Master? Why enter the tournament under an alias?"

Master Roshi straightened up with a relieved sigh. Reaching into his pocket, he fumbled with something in there for a minute before pulling out a fresh pair of sunglasses. Replacing the broken ones on his face with this new pair, Master Roshi cleared his throat and stared down at Gohan, his demeanor radiating an unmistakable sense of seriousness and worry.

"I suppose since, you've figured out my secret, you have a right to know," Master Roshi said with a solemn air. "It all started three years ago at the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament, in which Goku and Krillin were competing. Back then they were my only two students, and I had high hopes for them and their skills. Already at their age, they had displayed remarkable progress in both strength and wisdom, and I knew that for them to fight in the World Martial Arts Tournament would mean nothing less than absolute victory. And that simply could not be allowed.

"You see, the title of Master of Martial Arts is just that, only a title, there is no one person who can truly call themselves the Master of Martial Arts. I'm afraid that if Goku or Krillin or even Yamcha ever won the championship, it would go to their heads, and they would lose interest, getting weaker as a result and diminishing their astounding potential. But, if they thought that there was someone stronger out there, like Jackie Chun, then they would stay humbled and continue their training, with focus and dedication, and so that, my boy, is why I'm here: To make sure they don't get arrogant by winning it all and giving in to their egos. Can you understand that?"

"Yes, now I understand," Gohan said with a private grin. "I promise they won't find out from me. Good night, Master Roshi."

Gohan turned to head into the boys' room.

"Oh, and... Icarus?"

Gohan turned back to face Master Roshi.

"What is it, Master Roshi?"

"Remember well what I told you. There is no true master of fighting. You are the master of yourself, nothing else."

Gohan smiled.

"Thanks, Master Roshi."

* * *

The sounds of soft snores filled the room he was in. Pale moonlight filtered in through the open window, barely illuminating the darkened room. Gohan, the boy who had taken it upon himself to return here, to this time, in search of Cell, was unable to sleep, huddled under the blanket and deep in thought.

_He's gotta be somewhere close by,_ Gohan thought. _But what's his motive for coming here? Nothing he does in this timeline will have any effect on the future world where I come from. What is his reasoning? Does he have a plan, or is he misleading me?_ Gohan turned over, unable to banish these disturbing thoughts from his mind. _Until he shows himself, all I can do is wait. I'm the only one in this time who can stop him. If I fail, all is lost, and Cell will destroy this world too._

Trying to distract himself, Gohan looked over at his father, soundly asleep and snoring loudly.

_He's a lot like my Goku,_ Gohan thought fondly, a small smile lighting his face. He giggled softly as a bubble at the corner of Goku's mouth expanded and popped. Goku rubbed at his cheek unconsciously, still snoring, and turned over, shielding him from further examination. _It's going to be hard hiding my true feelings for him over the next few days. But why?_ a sudden part of his mind argued. _Why hide it from him? Anything you tell him in this time won't make any bit of difference to your world._

_But if I tell him he's my father, I won't be born,_ the sensible part of his brain countered.

_But the other you will never even know he hadn't existed,_ the other half persisted. _Besides, how do you know that's what's going to happen exactly? Who's to say your father won't do all those things over again even knowing you're going to be born? It's not like him to simply let someone, someone he might grow close to even in this time, fade from existence._

_I... I can't,_ that other, defiant part of his brain reasoned, its logic crumbling in the face of his other half's arguments. _It still might not work out that way, and that's a risk I'm just not willing to take._ After a moment, Gohan shook his head. _Listen to you, arguing with yourself,_ he told himself sternly. It felt like all of him was at war, his mind a constant battlefield to the confused and conflicted emotions burning within him. _I-I can't stay here. Not now,_ Gohan decided. _I've got to get out of here and get some time alone to think._

Getting out of his bed, Gohan quietly tiptoed to the window. Getting up onto the sill, Gohan chanced one last glance back at the sleeping occupants of the room. His eyes falling one last time on his father, Gohan nodded once, then turned his back on them.

Propelling himself from the window, Gohan powered up and flew away.


	3. Changes and Worries

Gohan shot through the night sky, not noticing or even caring where his path was taking him, so clouded was his mind with doubts and regret and niggling uncertainty that it felt like he was drowning in his own thoughts.

_What am I going to do?_ he wondered, passing over the surface of a shimmering black lake far below. _I know Father, and if he learns who I am, it's very likely he'll still get together with my mother and I'll be born, although... what if it happens much later than it did in my time, or too soon?_ Gohan was struck by another realization. _If Raditz comes to Earth and I'm not around and he doesn't kidnap me to use as a bargaining chip, what will he do to Father? Will he kill him? Daddy was no match for Raditz at that time. Would he still give his life to save the Earth?_

It was a stupid question; of course he would. If he could save even one extra person at the cost of his own life, Goku would do it without hesitation. But would he be able to do it before he had formed his alliance with Piccolo, or perhaps would Piccolo be the one to die this time around?

Piccolo...

_Piccolo! How could I be so __stupid__?_ If he interfered in this time, he could potentially wind up killing Piccolo before he spawned an offspring, resulting in the complete eradication of the Piccolo that he knew and admired, his mentor and friend. _It looks like my life isn't the only one that hangs in the balance by my actions in the past,_ Gohan mused.

Gohan sighed. He felt like he could practically beat his own brain in with his fists, trying to get it to function properly through the thick haze that was clouding his senses. _Father never told me much about the time that King Piccolo attacked,_ Gohan realized. _I wouldn't know what to do! Other than the fact that Krillin was killed and that Daddy defeated Piccolo, I don't know anything._ And then Gohan suddenly remembered a remark Future Trunks had once made...

_"The timeline as I know it must have shifted when I came here from the future..."_

_Wait a minute, so that means there could be changes already, and I wouldn't even know it!_ Gohan truly felt overwhelmed. Despite Goku's death and Cell's bloody rampage of destruction, his world was relatively peaceful now, and despite all of the difficulties, they had made it through some of the worst times imaginable over the years, surviving battles they were sure they were going to lose. _What if that doesn't happen here? What if my interference causes things to change so drastically that the Earth is destroyed or taken over?_

Now Gohan could fully appreciate what Future Trunks had gone through in returning to the past with news of the androids and a cure for Goku's heart disease. _What should I do? What is there I can do to save this world? What would Father do?_ That thought alone gave Gohan pause. _He would give everything he's got to make sure that others were safe! Just because this isn't my time doesn't make it any less real. And since it's all my fault that Cell is here now, threatening to undo everything, it's my duty to the people of this time to help them in any way I can! Even die._ And with this declaration, Gohan made a vow.

_I promise, Father, I won't let you down, even if you're not here with me now, that I __will__ protect this future and ensure they never have to go through the hardships we endured,_ Gohan thought intensely. _Cell is not the only one I have to worry about in this timeline; Vegeta, the Ginyu Force, Frieza, the androids, they're all out there somewhere too, waiting... wait..._

Gohan froze, halting in midair, his eyes dazed and unfocused. _The androids... Dr. Gero... of course! This is around the time that Father defeated the Red Ribbon Army, and... and Trunks said that Dr. Gero created the androids to avenge the Red Ribbon Army! But since he hasn't created the androids yet, he's probably still working on them, and that means... North City!_ Gohan gasped. _His lab is in North City!_

A smirk crossed its way onto Gohan's face. _Dr. Gero is hiding in North City. That's where his lab is, that's where the androids are, and that's where Cell is! I can stop him from ever being created!_ Now practically quivering in excitement, Gohan flared his ki and shot off, his own ki senses telling him exactly where North City was located, and, without a doubt, where Dr. Gero's lab was.

_I promise you won't succeed _ _this _ _time, Dr. Gero._

* * *

Yamcha had only gotten a few hours of sleep in before a strange combination of excitement and dread woke him up. And realizing that he had just too much on his mind right now to get back to sleep, he decided that a nightly run might help ease the tension that had formed inside of him. Slipping back into his trademark fighting gi, Yamcha was heading for the door, his hand on the knob, when he caught sight of that kid, Icarus's, bed...

It was empty.

Curious, Yamcha strode over, and to his confirmation saw that the bed was indeed empty. Icarus was gone.

Yamcha thought that that kid was weird, but he didn't seem all that unfriendly. In fact, he had even kind of started to like him, despite the nervousness that showed around him and his odd quirks. _Why did he get up and leave in the middle of the night?_ Yamcha wondered. _Does this have something to do with the tournament? Or has he got something else in mind? That kid's hiding something, I can definitely feel it._

Shaking his head of these dark musings, Yamcha turned from the bed and headed back to the door, shrugging carelessly. _He might have just gone out for a midnight run like me. He's probably preparing himself for the tournament. Nothing to worry about..._

_Right?_

* * *

Gohan could see his target up ahead, a collection of bright lights winking at him in the distance, surrounded on every side by ice-capped mountains rising up out of the ground. Shivering slightly, Gohan wrapped his arms around himself. _I should have brought a jacket,_ he thought ruefully. _Well, it's too late now. I'm committed. Besides, I think I lost my jacket somewhere along the river of time._ The joke didn't seem all that funny to Gohan.

Closing in on that section of mountains he knew to be North City, Gohan slowed his approach and sped over the towering skyline. There were bright lights flashing on in office buildings, air-cars and speeders and jet copters hovering in the sky only a hundred meters below him, and a whole sense of industriousness to the city even at night.

_No time to enjoy the view,_ Gohan reminded himself. _I've got a mission to accomplish._

Gohan personally had never been to Dr. Gero's lab, but he had been told firsthand accounts of it from Krillin, so he knew he could probably get a general feel of the area, and locate it fairly easily. Beyond that, it was merely a matter of destroying Dr. Gero and neutralizing the larval Cell. Hopefully, he wouldn't even have begun on the androids yet — Cell had said he was one of Dr. Gero's first projects. So that wasn't going to be a problem.

No, the only thing Gohan was worried about was the repercussions this would have on future events. If he succeeded, there would be no androids and no Future Trunks to come back in time and warn them. _Despite the damage he caused, Cell and the threat of the androids helped us become stronger than we would have been originally,_ Gohan thought to himself. _And even if Father did... leave, some of the androids weren't bad. If it wasn't for 16, I never would have ascended to Super Saiyan 2. Do I have a right to take away their chances? They had the ability to make their own choices, so what's to say they won't choose right this time too?_

_No,_ Gohan decided fiercely. _Even if they can be good, the cost of their existence is too high. I really hate to admit it, but there's nothing I can do for them. It's either them or Cell, and I know what __he__ will eventually become. I'm sorry, Father, but I don't see any other way._

Gohan spent the next 20 minutes searching for Dr. Gero's lab, all the while wrestling with his own inner demons and trying to assure himself that he was doing the right thing, that there was indeed no other way. But try as he might, he couldn't justify what he was about to do, only do it anyway and hope he was right. He eventually found the lab, and he noticed with a start of surprise that a faint tinge of grayish blue had begun to appear on the horizon, signaling the beginnings of dawn. As there was a difference in the time zone on this side of the planet, it should have come as no surprise to Gohan that dawn came earlier than it would have on Papaya Island.

Gohan shifted his focus back to the laboratory before him and settled himself down in the anteroom outside the main chamber. A solid steel door blocked the entryway. _Made it... finally._ Smirking slightly to himself, Gohan held out his palm and shot a powerful ki blast at it. The door crumpled, burst inward, and fell with a thud on the cold metal floor.

Gohan meandered inside, his hands reaching out blindly in the dark. Finding a light switch, Gohan flipped it up and the lights came on.

Gohan gasped. He couldn't help it.

For there was nothing in the lab. Just an empty space, devoid of anything of the sort of nature Gohan had been expecting. It looked as though there HAD been at some point, but there simply wasn't any now. Gohan felt himself wandering around the empty room in blind shock, unable to understand what was happening. Dazedly, he felt his foot connect with something solid, and he looked down.

There was a trapdoor near his foot. Remembering what Krillin had told him about Cell's embryo being hidden in a bunker below the main laboratory, Gohan felt hope blossom in his chest. Perhaps the changes in the timeline had effected it so that Dr. Gero's lab was now located below the main chamber. It was all that he had left, so without a second thought, Gohan pulled open the hatch and gazed down into a long, dark tunnel descending into depths of mountainous rock.

Taking a deep breath, Gohan jumped into the tunnel, using his ki to slow his descent oh so slightly. Once he was on the bottom, Gohan walked slowly through the adjoining tunnel until he found himself standing in front of another steel door, this one looking much more dirty and rusty and marked with a large red sign that said in big bold letters "No Trespassing."

Ignoring the sign, Gohan pushed open the door and swung inside. Once again, Gohan found himself in a dark empty space. Stretching his arms out, he finally located a switch similar to the one upstairs and flipped the lights on...

And found any last shred of hope he had maintained regarding Dr. Gero's laboratory shattered.

There was nothing here. Same as above, it looked like there had once been workstations and computers here, but they had all obviously been moved. And for a few moments, Gohan could only stand there, reeling in shock, unable to believe what his eyes were telling him. _How can this be happening?_ he wondered. _Dr. Gero's lab __should__ be here, in fact, it __is__ here! But everything's gone! How? Why? Who did this?_

_Cell._

Gohan was suddenly sure of it. He had no proof of it other than a darkening suspicion, but once he had thought it out a little more clearly, it made perfect sense. _This is probably what he came here for!_ Gohan realized as shocked fury surged through his veins and burning disappointment pounded in his chest. _How could I have missed it?! It's one of the first things he would have done when he first arrived in this time! Warning his creator!_

"Cell..." Gohan growled, feeling power growing inside of his body, rising steadily to the surface. The ground shivered under the might of his building ki as his eyes flashed green and his hair turned gold, the ground underfoot now quaking ferociously, and with a savage scream Gohan's power exploded all around him, reducing the mountain to rubble and generating a colossal explosion that could be seen all around the landscape.

Once the light subsided and the dust had cleared, there was Gohan, floating five kilometers in the air, his hair spiked up with only a single lock dangling over his face, his muscles bulky and threatening to tear his gi, eyes gleaming emerald fire, golden flames licking his body. He had become a Super Saiyan 2.

For a while Gohan simply hovered there, letting the hot, shameful fury run its course, raging through his body, empowering his Super Saiyan transformation, but then, slowly, the rage dwindled, and Gohan felt the transformation dropping. Finally, he let out a long sigh and his hair fell back down and turned black, his eyes regaining their normal black hue, and he was a Super Saiyan no more.

_I can't believe I let this happen,_ Gohan thought numbly. _I've made too many mistakes regarding Cell, but no more! Do you hear me, Cell?!_ He thought this last part as though shouting the word for him to hear, as if he were right next to him. _I won't underestimate you again! I __will__ find you and I __will__ find Gero and I __will__ prevent that horrible future in my world from coming to pass __here__!_

But no sooner had Gohan thought that than the sounds of dozens of helicopters broke his concentration. Looking up, Gohan could see at least twenty jet copters closing in on him from all angles, reinforced by thirty lightly armed military aircraft, all of them heading directly for him.

_Oh._ Gohan blinked. Of course the Royal Military would be so quick to responding to what they perceived as an "attempted bombing." Flaring his ki, Gohan shot down into the tree line to avoid detection. There was nothing left for him here now, and, rather than alleviating his concerns, his midnight excursion had only added to them.

_I don't know where you are Cell, but mark my words, this isn't over,_ Gohan thought, turning his head to gaze up through the rooftop of the trees at the moonless sky, filled with millions of stars twinkling down at him.

He clenched his fist tightly, his eyes burning with the fire of his intensity.

_We _ _will _ _meet again._


	4. Preliminary Knockouts, Part 1

Gohan didn't get any sleep that night. After eluding capture by the Royal Military soldiers, Gohan flew back to Papaya Island at his own pace, mulling over the evening's events and their potential impacts on both him and his future. By 7:30 in the morning, a grumpy, somewhat disheveled Gohan could be seen trudging through the open grounds of the World Martial Arts Tournament Coliseum, lost in thought and looking generally haggard but still managing to retain some slight cheer.

"Hey! Hey, Icarus!" a voice from behind Gohan shouted.

Gohan turned and saw Yamcha trotting up to him.

"Hey, you made it," he observed.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world," Gohan said, smiling.

"So, where were you last night?" At Gohan's blank look, Yamcha clarified, "I couldn't sleep, I was so jammed for the tournament I could barely keep my eyes shut. So I figured a nice jog would help me loosen up, but when I looked in your bed, you were gone."

Gohan blinked. "Oh, uh... I-I was training. For the tournament," Gohan invented wildly. "Uh, you know, doing some last-minute stretches, running, that sort of thing."

This seemed to satisfy Yamcha's curiosity for now. He laughed softly. "Yeah, I thought so," Yamcha said, noticeably more relaxed. "You're one dedicated fighter, though, Icarus. I got back at like 2:50, but from the looks of it, you spent the entire night training. From what I can tell, you won't need luck out there. You've got too much of a fiery spirit to back down."

Gohan nodded, feeling wearier than ever. Though oddly enough, he felt a lot better from Yamcha's praise.

"Yamcha!" Gohan heard a familiar voice call.

His younger father ran up alongside Yamcha, followed closely by Krillin. Now that Gohan saw them all together, he noticed for the first time that all three of them were decked out in the bright red gi that were a trademark of Master Roshi and the symbol of his fighting house.

"Huh? Oh hey, Icarus!" Goku said, noticing Gohan. "How are you today?"

"I'm fine, thank you," Gohan said politely.

"How did you get here?" Krillin wondered. "You weren't in bed when we got up. In fact, it didn't look like you were even there when Yamcha and I went out jogging. Where were you all last night?"

Gohan chuckled. "I spent the night training. You know, in preparation for the tournament. I've never fought in it before. It's going to be, uh, exciting," Gohan said, hoping to inject enthusiasm into his voice, but to him it sounded half-hearted at best, although it seemed to do the trick for the others.

"You said it!" Goku exclaimed. "Boy, look at all the tough fighters! I can't wait to get started in the Elimination Round!"

Gohan smiled.

"Come on, we're headed just that way," Yamcha said, motioning for Gohan to follow them. "We'd better hurry if we want to make in time for the preliminaries."

Gohan fell in stride with the three of them as they made their way to the tournament hall, wondering how crazy this tournament was going to get with his father and his friends competing.

_One thing's for sure,_ Gohan thought musingly. _It's certainly going to be __very__ interesting._

* * *

"Good morning, and welcome to the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament," a tournament worker announced. Gohan, Goku, Krillin, and Yamcha, who had met up with Jackie Chun (and who Gohan now knew was a disguised Master Roshi), were all gathered in the enormous competition hall, listening in rapt attention to the announcer's words. All eyes in the hall were on him, and the silence was permeating, but so thick you could have cut it with a knife. You could practically taste the currents swirling in the room.

"It is my privilege and honor to preside over this special event, which has become so popular it will now be held once every three years," the announcer was saying. "This one promises to be the biggest yet, with a record-high attendance of 182 fighters. All of you are talented Martial Artists in your own right. However, only one will be crowned the World's Champion. So, without further ado, let the Elimination Round of the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament officially begin!"

The crowd packed into the hall roared its approval.

"Ahem. May I have everyone's attention?" the announcer said, trying to direct everyone's attention back to the matter at hand. "Our first order of business is to select the fighters for each match. To aid in this process, each of you will draw lots from the boxes located on either side of the service tables."

Gohan filed into line behind Goku, Krillin, Yamcha, and Master Roshi (Jackie Chun), bounding on the tips of his toes occasionally to get a glimpse over his friends and see how much closer they were to the table. After a couple of minutes, it was their turn. Yamcha drew first, then Krillin, Goku, Jackie Chun, and finally, Gohan.

Gohan unfurled his ticket and observed a large black number 45 on it.

"I'm 62. It looks like they put me in... the latter half of Block 2," Krillin was saying.

"I'm in the second half of Block 1," Goku observed.

Yamcha huddled over his scrap of ticket, mumbling something about "not Goku." With a gasp of relief, he said aloud, "Yeah, I got lucky. I'm in Block 1, but in the first half." He turned to stare at Gohan. "Icarus?"

Gohan was already glancing at the board. "It looks like they put me in the first half of Block 2."

Goku accepted this news with a nod, and turned to face Jackie Chun. "What about you, mister?" he said.

"I drew Number 178, which if I'm not mistaken, puts me in Block 4," the disguised Master Roshi replied.

"What luck! We won't fight each other!" Krillin exclaimed.

_Yeah, what an unlucky match-up __that__ would have been,_ Gohan thought with private amusement.

"Ahem," the tournament worker cleared his throat once all the fighters had successfully drawn their lots. "Good. We will now begin with the Elimination Round, which will decide the 8 fighters who will advance to the championship. Each match will be one-on-one and confined to the boundaries of the ring. There is no time limit, and each match will continue until one opponent is either defeated, leaves the ring, or gives up.

"No weapons are allowed. In the event that an official ruling is needed to clarify a winner, all decisions by the tournament judges are final," the worker continued. "The tournament does not take responsibility for loss of property or life. As a reminder to those outside the ring, flash photography is strictly prohibited. Thank you."

"Well, this is it," Goku said. "Good luck, Krillin."

"Thanks," Krillin replied.

Goku turned his head to Gohan. "Good luck to you too, Icarus. I hope to see you in the championship, so don't lose, okay?"

Gohan jumped a little, startled at Goku's words, but after a minute he smiled and inclined his head to Goku. "Thank you, F... Goku. I'll do my best," he muttered, catching himself in time. Only years of discipline prevented Gohan from wincing, as he stood there hoping his friends or future father hadn't noticed his little slip.

Thankfully, it appeared that they hadn't, and Gohan sighed internally. Feeling someone else's eyes on them, Gohan turned and saw Tien and Chiaotzu standing a good distance away. Tien was too far away for his Saiyan hearing to pick up on what they were saying, but they looked awfully smug.

"Attention. The first match in the Elimination Round will be held in Block Number 1," the tournament worker from before said. "At this time, fighters Number 1 and 2 may enter the ring."

Yamcha stepped into the ring. "Here we go," he said. "Save my spot, I'll be right back," he added confidently.

"Get him, Yamcha!" Goku cheered.

"You can beat him! Don't worry about this guy!" Gohan added, knowing full well that he was speaking the truth; the difference in ki between the two opponents was negligible. Gohan could tell Yamcha was definitely stronger.

"Say bye-bye," his opponent said mockingly, a man with an average-but-muscular build and a Mohawk-style haircut.

"Begin!" the worker shouted.

Yamcha assumed a fighting stance, his posture radiating calm with no visible flaws in his technique.

Perhaps sensing this, the Mohawk man looked a little disconcerted, but then he suddenly sneered and pulled out a few tiles of wood. Tossing them carelessly into the air, he jumped up and with a few well-placed punches, smashed them, and they fell in broken pieces to the floor.

"Hmpf, nice, but wood can't fight back," Yamcha said in complete unconcern.

"If it could, it would have a much better chance of winning this match than you do," the Mohawk man taunted.

"Gentlemen, please, it's time to begin, let's focus on the match," the tournament worker prodded.

"So long!" the man yelled, jumping high again and aiming with a punch at Yamcha's face...

Which sailed harmlessly through his after-image as Yamcha himself phased from existence. He reappeared behind the Mohawk man, his ki emitting no more than a faint blip to Gohan's ki-sensing capabilities with this action, and with a simple backhanded slap the Mohawk man was knocked down and unconscious.

"Fighter 1 wins by knockout!" the tournament worker declared.

Yamcha left his opponent in a heap and headed back towards his friends.

"Great job, Yamcha," Gohan said, flashing a brief thumbs-up.

"Yeah, he's right!" Goku exclaimed enthusiastically. "You were incredible out there!"

Yamcha's serious face held for a second more or two, then it was replaced with a bashful-yet-proud look and he said with a wave of his hand in mock embarrassment, "It was nothing!" This look remained for a few seconds, Yamcha appearing immensely pleased with himself for his quick victory, and then sobered as he heard, "Fighters Number 45 and 46 please report to the ring, your match is about to begin."

"45's my number," Gohan stated.

"All right, go show 'em what you're made of, Icarus!" Goku said encouragingly.

"Yeah, you can do it," Yamcha added with a smile.

Gohan nodded wordlessly, heading to Block 2. He lifted himself onto the ring and saw his first opponent: A man in a black tunic similar in style to Master Roshi's, dark blue sunglasses, and blonde hair and mustache. He carried himself confidently, and Gohan could sense he had a high power level, probably somewhere around the level 80s if you were to look at it on a Scouter, but nowhere near comparison to his own power.

"Fighters, ready, and begin!" the worker announced.

Gohan sank into a stance that was a perfect mirror of his mentor's, Piccolo's, with some elements of Goku's and the fighting style long since entrusted to him by Guru incorporated into the posture. It was flawless, both in form and execution, and Gohan's every movement projected total, confident calm.

"Hey, you guys, take a look at Icarus's technique," Yamcha commented. "It's flawless! He's left no opening unguarded!"

"I guess he really does know what he's doing," Krillin allowed grudgingly.

"Hm-hmm," Goku agreed. "You bet! He's good. That other guy out there doesn't stand a chance!"

Gohan's opponent only stared at Gohan for a while, seemingly evaluating him from under that bushy mop of his, his every feature tightened in concentration, and Gohan felt a smirk coming on. _Since Yamcha and the others are showing off a little, I guess there's no harm in me doing the same,_ he thought. _But remember, Gohan, restraint; you don't want to arouse suspicion. Besides, any more and it might hurt this guy._

"I'll let you have the first move, kid," the man said, his tone betraying nothing of what he might be thinking or feeling within.

Gohan knew what he was attempting to do; draw him into attack while he remained on the defensive, carefully studying his techniques and affording him ample time for countermeasures. Gohan almost felt sorry for the man; he had had no chance from the moment he had stepped in the ring. _I won't humiliate him, but I will end this quickly,_ Gohan decided.

"Well, are you just gonna stand there or what?"

Grinning ever so slightly, Gohan flash-sped — restraining himself greatly so he didn't appear too skillful — behind the man. Before he could even take notice of the boy's movement, Gohan ducked down and swiped his foot under the man's legs, knocking him off balance. Grabbing onto his legs while he was trying to get his bearings back, Gohan turned and bodily tossed the man from the arena. The man landed outside the ring with a satisfying thud.

The fight had lasted maybe a total of 2 seconds.

"Number 45 is winner by a ring-out!" the worker shouted.

Gohan put an arm behind his back and couldn't resist showing a little peace sign to the cheering spectators.

"Did you guys see that? He moved so fast, I almost couldn't see!" Yamcha said, stunned.

"Yeah, I could barely keep up with it!" Goku said in awe.

Krillin was simply too stunned to speak.

Meanwhile, Jackie Chun, who had been watching the fight intently nearby, was frowning. _Hmm... Icarus's fighting technique seems familiar,_ he thought. _I don't know what it is about that style, but I know I've seen it somewhere before!_

Gohan hopped off the stage and nodded at Krillin. "It's your turn, Krillin."

"Ah... ah... oh, um, right," Krillin stammered, just in time for the tournament worker to announce, "The next match is about to begin. Will fighters Number 62 and 63 please enter the ring?"

"Ohh, that's me," Krillin said, finally snapping out of his reverie, and he leaped into the ring.

Gohan waited for a few minutes, as did all the other Martial Artists watching this fight, but when 2 whole minutes had passed, people were beginning to wonder what was causing the delay. "Uhh," the tournament worker managed, but then he seemed to come to himself and repeated, "Attention, fighter Number 63, please report to the ring for your preliminary bout or you will forfeit the match."

The ground gave a tremendous thud, and all those standing in the immediate vicinity nearly lost their balance. Only Gohan, Goku, Yamcha, Krillin, and Jackie didn't seem the least bit affected. Before Gohan could ponder the strange occurrence, another thud sounded, reverberating around the hall, followed by another, and then another, and it was then that Gohan realized that the source of the quakes belonged to an approaching ki...

"What's that? An earthquake?" Krillin wondered.

"No!" Gohan exclaimed, pointing to a giant-sized man walking closer, so immensely large that he made his grandfather the Ox King look positively miniscule by comparison. "He's causing it!"

He had to be at least over 15 feet tall, with flaming red hair, big, bulky muscles, and a mean face. Overall, he did not look like someone you wanted to cross or meet in a darkened back alley.

But Gohan wasn't concerned; oh, he had a high enough power level, all right, perhaps somewhere around 100 or 110, but he could also sense Krillin's unique power level, and he could tell that Krillin would win this match without effort. His ki was stronger.

But it appeared that many of the other fighters including Goku and his friends weren't so confident. _Of course, they can't sense ki during this time,_ Gohan remembered with a mental slap.

"Whoa!" Goku exclaimed. "He's huge!"

"Yes, he is," Gohan said, speaking softly. "But you should know best of all people, Goku, that size doesn't matter."

Goku glanced quizzically at Gohan. Finally, he shrugged and said with a smile, "Yeah, you're right, Icarus."

Meanwhile, the giant had stepped into the ring and was now staring down at Krillin imperiously. "And who are you supposed to be?" he demanded.

Krillin looked a little unnerved, but answered calmly enough, "Uh, I'm your opponent."

"Yeah, that's funny, you look more like toejam to me," the giant sneered. "You're lucky I can see the shine off your bald head, otherwise you'd be dust right now."

"Oh! I remember who that giant is!" Yamcha suddenly exclaimed.

"Really?" Gohan said. "Who is he?"

"He's called Anton the Great," Yamcha answered. "He used to be the world professional wrestling champion."

"Is he strong?" Goku asked.

"Hm-hmm," Yamcha nodded. "That's an understatement. Anton is so tough no one would fight him. He left the professional circuit and became an underground fighter."

"He may be strong," Gohan said, trying to bolster their spirits without revealing how he knew this, "but that doesn't mean Krillin is weak, either. Who knows, he could win."

"Yeah, maybe," Yamcha said, sounding unconvinced.

"Fighters, now that both of you are in the ring, take your positions and begin," the tournament worker said.

"I'm ready to begin now. Care to make the first move?" Krillin informed Anton.

"The first move I make," Anton said haughtily, "will be your last, kid."

Krillin looked annoyed. "I doubt that," he said.

"When you squish, don't forget to scream!" Anton laughed as he brought his foot over Krillin and slammed it down, which Krillin promptly dodged. Anton then aimed a punch at Krillin, which Krillin jumped back to avoid.

"Come on, Krillin, keep moving, don't let him get ahold of you!" Yamcha shouted.

Krillin leaped into the air at Anton, aiming a kick, but Anton reached out with his gigantic hand and closed it around Krillin's body.

"He's got Krillin!" Yamcha cried.

Anton started to squeeze Krillin while in his fist, and to Gohan's great surprise, Krillin began struggling and grunting as if in agony. _Why's he doing that?_ Gohan wondered. _I can tell from their ki that Krillin is the stronger one, so what's he doing?_

Whereas Gohan was confused, his friends were concerned.

"No," Yamcha moaned. "Krillin doesn't stand a chance. That beast can crush boulders with his bare hands!"

"Krillin!" Goku cried worriedly.

"Don't worry," Gohan said. "I don't what he's doing, but Krillin's okay. He's not going to lose this match."

"How can you say that?" Yamcha demanded angrily. "Look at him! Anton's going to kill him!"

"It's an act!" Gohan suddenly realized.

And sure enough, as soon as he'd said that, Krillin stopped fighting and groaning and looked immensely smug. "How's my acting?" he asked, wriggling his eyebrows.

Anton looked both surprised and furious.

"Before I became a great fighter I considered pursuing a career in acting," Krillin elaborated.

"You tricked me!" Anton yelled.

Krillin slammed his elbow into the space between Anton's thumb and index finger, causing Anton to drop him as though he was scalded.

"Hey, you were right," Yamcha said. "Man, that's incredible! How'd you know that?"

Gohan started, cursing himself for revealing too much. Even though he had been fully aware of it, he had wanted to make his friends feel better, but now that he thought of it, they would have found out on their own eventually. _Now what do I do?_

Gohan scratched the back of his head and chuckled. "I dunno! Hey, maybe I'm psychic!"

His friends fell over, but Gohan suddenly saw an opening to divert their attention, and he took it. "Now's not the time to focus on this," he said hurriedly.

And indeed, that was the truth, now was not the time, as the match was still going on. This seemed to successfully distract them, and Gohan sighed in relief. Anton reached for Krillin again, but this time, Krillin latched onto his finger and with a show of strength threw him out of the ring. Anton hit the floor with a resounding crash.

"Sir, what's the judgment?" Krillin asked the ref.

"Number 63 has left the ring which means 62 is the winner!"

Krillin flashed a peace sign. "I'm the man."

"You did it!" Goku told Krillin as he left the ring. "That was amazing. You're definitely stronger than you were three years ago."

"Outstanding move!" Yamcha said.

"Yeah, nicely done, Krillin," Gohan added.

"Well, thanks guys, but relax, this is just the beginning," Krillin said. "That was nothing. Just wait."

Suddenly there was an extremely rude laugh. For a moment, it reminded Gohan of Vegeta.

"Your expectations must be very low if you consider that an accomplishment," a voice said nearby.

They all turned.

Tien was standing there, along with Chiaotzu. _What are they doing here?_ Gohan wondered.

"Excuse me," Yamcha said.

"Wait," Goku said. "You are...?"

Gohan held back the "They're Tien and Chiaotzu" that was forming on his lips.

"They're pupils of Hermit Crane, which explains their rudeness," Krillin told Goku, and then, as an aside, whispered, "He's a rival of Master Roshi's."

"I remember them now!" Goku exclaimed, staring at Tien for a minute, both of them looking at one another as though they were sharing a memory only they knew about, but after a moment, Goku's countenance grew dark. "Both of you are bad! You tried to hurt InoShikaCho and me!"

_InoShikaCho?_ Gohan repeated mentally. _I wonder who that is? I'll have to ask Father about it later,_ he vowed, storing the information away in his brain.

"You mean you've met those two creeps before?!" Krillin said incredulously.

"Amazing how events can change according to one's perspective," Tien said musingly. "Actually, I did him a favor by not finishing what he started."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yamcha demanded roughly.

"I'm sorry, I forgot my audience. I'll use less syllables," Tien said snidely. "I. Can't. Be. Defeated. You're lucky we don't have a match in the preliminaries."

"Why'd you say that?" Gohan asked, confused by the change in Tien's behavior. "That wasn't very nice."

Tien laughed again. "Oh, forgive me if I fail to conform to the standards that you set, but as you can see, I'm far superior to all of you, so I guess I'm entitled to a little boasting."

Gohan felt irritation at Tien's comment, but more than that was an ever-deepening sense of confusion. _Why is Tien so mean? This is a complete change from the Tien of my time._ Then Gohan remembered what Krillin had said...

_"They're pupils of Hermit Crane..."_

_Hermit Crane... that Shen guy must be Hermit Crane! And... Tien and Chiaotzu must be his pupils!_ No wonder Tien was so cruel. Gohan had sensed it in Shen's ki; his very life essence practically screamed the word "darkness." _How did Tien and Chiaotzu ever turn out so nice if they were being influenced by Master Shen's corruptive training?_ Gohan thought sadly.

He returned to the conversation just in time to hear Tien saying, "... Chiaotzu, stop. You know it's not polite to make fun of your inferiors, especially when they're as grossly inadequate as these four. None of them have the slightest chance of surviving the preliminaries, let alone the tournament."

Yamcha stepped forward. "Get lost or get hit, it's your choice," he said firmly.

"Ha. Judging by your last fight, I'm in no hurry," Tien snorted. "You had the chance to deal your opponent a critical blow, and you passed it up. Big mistake."

"Whenever I fight, my objective is to defeat my opponent, not murder him," Yamcha said, then looked thoughtful. "However, if you and I should have a match in this tournament, I'll be sure to reconsider my policy."

"Really? Why wait? Fight now," Tien said, his eyes glinting.

"Oh, anytime you're ready, I welcome the chance to shut you up," Yamcha said with a cocky grin.

Gohan grabbed Yamcha's arm. Yamcha turned to regard Icarus with annoyance. "Please, Yamcha, don't do this. He's just a bully who wants to provoke you into fighting. Don't let him. Take the high road. Show that you're better than him."

"Oh, really, are you that pathetic that you're going to take orders from a little boy?" Tien sneered.

"What?!" Yamcha exclaimed. "Oh, that's it, come on!"

"Settle down, boys," another voice interrupted.

They all turned to see Jackie Chun standing there not a few feet away, regarding them with a critical eye. "Whatever problem you two are having, you should ask yourselves if this fight is worth it, because both of you will be kicked out of the tournament," he said simply.

"Mind your business, old man," Tien snapped.

Now Yamcha looked superior. He laughed. "That 'old man' is Jackie Chun, he won the last tournament," he said casually.

"And you fought at that tournament, no doubt. This just keeps getting better," Tien observed, appraising Jackie Chun. "If a decrepit old man proved too great a challenge for you, then you have no business fighting me."

"That does it!" Yamcha growled, preparing to pounce on Tien, but Gohan threw his arms around Yamcha's midsection and restrained him, ignoring his threats and demands for Icarus to release him.

Tien laughed. "Look at him, the fool's no match for even a child. He's obviously too weak to face a real man. Enough. Let's go."

And Tien walked off, still laughing amid the shouts of Yamcha and the concerned glance of Gohan.


	5. Preliminary Knockouts, Part 2

"Attention all competitors in Block 3," a tournament worker announced. "Will fighters Number 99 and 100 please come forward at this time?"

They saw Tien move forward, chatting easily with Chiaotzu. It was obviously his turn.

"Have you ever met anyone more pompous?" Yamcha said disdainfully.

It had been a while since he had calmed down enough for Gohan to release him, and they were now waiting until it was time for their next matches, although that afforded them the opportunity to see what Tien was capable of, and even Gohan had to admit he was curious to see just how strong the Tien of this time was.

"That jerk's all talk," Krillin declared. "I bet he doesn't make it through his first match."

"Noo," Goku said slowly. "That guy's a great fighter!"

"Yea, I bet he is," Gohan added, carefully toning down his knowledge.

"Yeah, right," Krillin scoffed in disbelief. "You two are nuts."

"So, you've already had a run-in with this loser before," Yamcha observed, staring at Goku closely. "Is he as strong as he thinks he is?"

Goku nodded. "Yes! He's tough!"

Tien stepped into the ring and promptly threw his tunic off, leaving him standing in only his pants, revealing a well-toned torso.

"What a show-off," Krillin grumbled.

There was a sudden thud, and a sumo wrestler stepped into the ring. Apparently, something one of the other fighters had said irritated him, and he jumped down from the ring and approached the fighter. After a short exchange, the fighter aimed a punch at the sumo wrestler, but it imbedded itself in his flabby stomach. Grinning wickedly, the sumo wrestler punched him into the wall, and turned back to face his opponent.

"That sumo wrestler's strong!" Yamcha exclaimed.

"Yes, his extreme girth is actually an asset," Jackie noted gravely. "Most attacks on him are ineffective."

The sumo wrestler charged Tien, who responded with a series of swift movements. The sumo wrestler stopped cold and after a moment fell flat on his face. Tien had already begun walking off. The match went to Tien.

"That was 4 punches!" Yamcha said, grudgingly impressed.

"Correction: 4 punches and 3 kicks," Krillin added.

Gohan had seen all of them.

"His moves are so quick!" Goku said.

"Sure, he may be fast, but that doesn't mean he's necessarily strong," Krillin said dismissively.

"I think you're wrong, Krillin," Gohan said softly. "He's actually very strong. You shouldn't close your mind to something just because you don't want to believe it."

Krillin growled in annoyance, muttering, "Who are you calling close-minded..."

"The next match in Block 1 is at hand!" a tournament worker called. "Numbers 27 and 28 please step forward!"

"All right! I'm up!" Goku exclaimed.

"Finally, we get to see Goku fight," Krillin said.

"He should do well, he almost won last time," Yamcha said confidently.

Gohan nodded his assent.

On the other side of the ring, a tall, black man wearing a yellow robe-style tunic with black afro and a mustache stepped forward and entered the ring, taking his position opposite Goku. He looked pretty confident. He kind of reminded Gohan of Mr. Satan, that guy who'd been cowering in the corner while he fought Cell.

"Is that guy Goku's opponent?" Krillin wondered. "He doesn't look very strong to me."

"Mmm. I don't envy him," Yamcha said grimly. "Goku's not someone you want to fight on your first match."

"The fighters get younger every year. Soon I will be fighting infants," the man said smoothly.

"I know I've seen that man somewhere before," Jackie Chun said pensively.

"Oooh! I don't believe it!" a nearby fighter exclaimed. "That's King Chappa, isn't it?"

"You're right!" another fighter admitted.

"It is," Jackie Chun confirmed. "King Chappa."

"That's King Chappa?! THE King Chappa?!" Yamcha said. "Not good. Goku doesn't know what he's getting himself into!"

"What's the big deal?" Krillin asked.

"It's been said that he's one of the strongest men alive," Yamcha answered.

"Hmm. The last time he attended the World Martial Arts Tournament, he became the Champion without being touched by a single opponent," Jackie explained. "Goku's at a severe disadvantage."

"If Chappa is that good, it's gonna take a miracle for Goku to stay alive out there, let alone win the match," Yamcha said soberly.

Gohan could sense King Chappa's Ki signature, and if he had to guess he would say he was at maybe 128, but he could also sense that Goku was the stronger of the two. He bit his lip; he desperately wanted to reassure his friends, to tell them that their worrying was for nothing, but he had learned from his mistake with Anton the Great. They would find it out soon enough.

"Fighters, ready, and begin!"

Both Goku and King Chappa assumed a fighting stance.

"Don't be afraid, little one," King Chappa said arrogantly. "I'll stop before I kill you."

"Thank you," Goku replied.

There was a moment of tense silence, but then Jackie sighed. "Poor Goku. I can't think of a worse opponent for him to face in his first match."

"Yeah," Yamcha agreed.

"The fear inside you swells, but I'll replace it with pain," King Chappa said briskly.

"I can handle it, but thanks," Goku said coolly.

Taking the initiative, Goku leaped forward and elbowed Chappa in the chin. Chappa stumbled back, holding his chin and looking mightily surprised.

Yamcha and Krillin gasped, as did most of the surrounding audience.

"That's a first," Jackie Chun observed.

King Chappa turned to face Goku again, this time a more serious look on his face. He inhaled deeply, bringing his palms together and closing his eyes.

"I was mistaken. I am not dealing with an ordinary child," he said.

Goku laughed. Chappa chose another stance as Goku did the same.

Chappa launched a kick at Goku, which Goku ducked under, and countered with a chop, but Goku jumped to avoid it, aiming a punch at King Chappa's face. Chappa caught it with his fist, and they hung there for a while, before Goku brought his leg into Chappa's side, and then following up with a series of rapid kicks into his chest, then finally propelling his feet forward. They connected with Chappa's stomach, and King Chappa himself fell to the floor.

The crowd cheered.

King Chappa rose in agony, clutching his side while glaring daggers at Goku and growling angrily.

"Chappa looks like he's out for blood!" Yamcha said.

"He'll now use the Eight-Handed technique," Jackie Chun said knowingly.

"Eight-Handed?" Yamcha repeated. "This guy must buy his skills wholesale. As if he needed anything else to make him more dangerous."

"Focus," Chappa was saying. "Now you will learn why I am feared."

Chappa focused intently for a minute, and then launched himself into attack at Goku again, his arms moving so fast that it appeared that he had eight hands, but Goku managed to dodge each and every one of them.

"That's amazing!" Krillin exclaimed.

"Goku's dodging them. How could he even see his hands?" Yamcha wondered.

Goku landed a kick on Chappa's ankle, knocking him off his feet and once again onto the floor. The crowd cheered again.

"You shouldn't leave your feet unguarded," Goku informed Chappa.

"You will pay for your insolence!" Chappa snarled, getting to his feet and aiming another punch at Goku, but before it could connect he had vanished.

"Where is he?" Chappa demanded, turning to one of the fighters.

"Up in the air!" the fighter said.

All eyes shifted, and indeed, there was Goku, revealed in the air.

"Oh, boy. He just made a big mistake," Jackie Chun said.

"Why do you say that?" Yamcha said.

Gohan, who had been watching the entire fight with keen interest, could see what Master Roshi meant; Goku had left himself wide open to a counterattack before his return to solid ground, but Gohan knew his father well enough to know that he had probably foreseen that, so what was he planning?

King Chappa was laughing. "What are you doing, hiding up there?" he asked. "You're only delaying the inevitable. Come down here and take your punishment."

Goku turned, planting his feet on the ceiling, and using it to propel himself down at King Chappa.

"You're finished!" Chappa screamed, throwing a punch at Goku.

But at the last minute, Goku let out a long exhale, canceling his momentum and keeping suspended in midair for a few seconds, and Chappa's punch sailed through thin air. Looking surprised, Chappa had no time to react as Goku kicked him in the face, and Chappa was sent flying out of the ring, landing outside and evidently unconscious.

"Number 28 wins the match by a knockout!" the ref declared.

"I've, never seen anything like that before," Jackie Chun said in shock. "He actually stopped his movement by controlling his breathing. Amazing."

"Whatever Goku learned over the last three years seems to be working for him," Yamcha remarked.

Goku hopped from the ring and gave a peace sign. "I won, you guys! That was so much fun!" he said.

"You did great, but don't use all your tricks in the beginning," Krillin said. "Save some for later."

"Definitely," Goku said, putting his arms behind his head. "I agree with you. That's why I'm saving some of my best techniques for the tournament finals. I can't wait to up against the most talented fighters, like you guys."

The others all bleated half-hearted murmurs of agreement, still in shock over learning that Goku wasn't going all-out.

Goku turned to Gohan and said, "Hey, Icarus, what did you think? How'd I do out there? Was I strong? Did you like it?"

Gohan was surprised. His father wondered what he thought of him? But Gohan shoved these random musings to the side and nodded with a slight smile. "Pretty impressive. You're an excellent fighter, Goku."

Goku laughed and said, "Thank you! You're a good fighter, too."

For a moment the two simply stood there, smiling at one another. Just then, No. 178, Jackie Chun's number, was called, but Jackie Chun himself didn't seem to hear it.

"Jackie?" Gohan said after a moment. "Aren't you Number 178?"

"Hm?" Jackie said, coming out of a deep reverie.

Jackie Chun's opponent turned out to be a huge muscular bear fighter clad in tanktop and tan pants.

"Good luck, Jackie Chun!" Goku cheered.

"Begin!" the ref announced.

The bear fighter took on a fighting stance, but Jackie Chun stood still, his eyes unfocused and his brow furrowed. It didn't seem like he was even paying attention to the bear fighter!

"Why is Mr. Chun just standing there?" Goku wondered.

"Maybe it's a new technique?" Krillin suggested.

Gohan was at a loss to explain this either.

"Gramps! Are you awake?" the bear demanded.

But Jackie Chun continued to ignore the bear fighter.

With a fierce growl the bear fighter tore his tanktop, and launched himself at Jackie Chun. That action seemed to jolt Jackie to his senses, and with a sudden fervor he phased away from the punch, elbowed the bear fighter's abdomen, slapped the back of his hand into his face, and threw up a kick that sent the bear fighter flying back and landing, unconscious, in a ceremonious heap on the floor.

For a moment Jackie was still, his face severe and his body rigid with concentration, but then he seemed to come to himself once again and looked suddenly shocked. "Hm. Wow. I guess I don't know my own strength," he said wonderingly.

"That was awesome!" Goku called. "Way to go, Jackie!"

"My gosh, you wouldn't think he was that tough, but man, he's incredible!" Yamcha said.

"Hm-hmm," Gohan threw in. "You can tell he's definitely going to make it all the way."

Yamcha nodded. "You said it. Man, one thing is for certain, the finals are gonna be challenging," he said seriously. "Or dangerous."

And so the rest of the preliminaries proceeded by as such; every one of the future Z Fighters blew through their opponents and ended up moving closer to their goal. Gohan did his best not to seriously injure his opponents, but there was one case where that was the exception...

"Fighters 45 and 56 please enter the ring!"

Gohan stepped into the ring. His opponent was a hulking wolf-man dressed in a dark orange fighting gi with a white belt strapped across his waist. He was growling savagely and kept shooting glances at something out of the ring.

Gohan was intrigued; he could sense this creature's spiking aura, and it radiated menace. More than that, however, was regret and bitterness and a dark, brooding, overwhelming sense of loss.

"Ready?" the announcer said. "Begin!"

The wolf-man launched himself at Gohan with a howl of rage...

But Gohan did something completely unexpected.

"Stop!" he shouted.

The wolf-man jerked from the force of his command, momentarily pausing in the center of the ring, blinking and looking confused.

"Mr. Wolf-Man, why are you doing this?" Gohan asked.

The wolf-man looked affronted. "It's 'Man-Wolf,' not 'Wolf-Man,' got it, you arrogant little brat?!" Man-Wolf seethed, livid. "How dare you mock me!"

"OK, OK, I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it," Gohan said in a conciliatory tone. "But honestly, what's the difference? I can't tell."

"You scoundrel!" Man-Wolf growled. "A wolf-man changes into a werewolf at the full moon, but my kind transform into men during the full moon!"

And before Gohan could further placate him, Man-Wolf threw himself back at Gohan with a feral roar. He launched a barrage of punches and kicks at Gohan, but Gohan dodged each and every one of them with unflinching ease. But it wasn't the sheer viciousness of his attacks that was disturbing to Gohan; no, it was Man-Wolf's manner while he performed them that worried Gohan.

They were fast and brutal and with every miss or near-hit Gohan could sense Man-Wolf's rage building and actually felt sorry for him. Beneath that protective layer of snarl and hatred was a broken soul. Deciding to take a more hands-on approach, Gohan swung to the side to avoid a punch and jumped up, landing behind Man-Wolf. With a swift motion Gohan had pulled Man-Wolf's arms behind him and locked them there, placing his foot on Man-Wolf's heel and forcing him to bend forward a little, not enough to hurt him, but enough to successfully immobilize him, even as Man-Wolf himself strained wildly and barked and shouted at Gohan to let him go.

"No, not likely," Gohan said calmly. "Man-Wolf, please, listen to me! I'm not your enemy! I want to help you, but I can't if you won't tell what's bothering you!"

"Unhand me, kid!" Man-Wolf roared. "You insolent little punk! You don't know who you're messing with, when I get free, you're going to wish you were never born, I'll teach you to show the proper respect, let me go, let me go this instant...!"

"Mr. Man-Wolf, please!" Gohan begged. "It doesn't have to be this way. Please."

But far from being reassured, Man-Wolf grew ever-more desperate. Seeing an opening, he twisted his body around and lunged at Gohan with his mouth open and canines revealed, obviously intending to bite him. Startled, Gohan jumped back, and Man-Wolf broke free from his hold.

Wasting no time with his newfound freedom, Man-Wolf began his offensive anew, but Gohan continued to evade his attacks like they were nothing. Realizing that pinning him would do more harm than good, Gohan continued to try to reason with Man-Wolf.

"Please, stop this!" he said. "Violence isn't the answer. Wouldn't it be easier to just tell me what your problem is?"

The only effect these words had on Man-Wolf was to cause him to fight even more ferociously. But still Gohan continued to avoid his punches and kicks and with a slight sigh brought his fist into Man-Wolf's stomach, delivering a very, very light tap that still managed to send Man-Wolf sprawling to the floor, clutching his stomach and growling in agony.

"Man-Wolf." Gohan's voice was kind, and calm, and seemed to carry a great weight to it. "I sense that you don't really want to hurt me. Beneath that anger, I can sense that you're hurting. It must be very hard, bottling that all up inside you. Let it go. Tell me what's wrong, Mr. Man-Wolf, please, and I promise I'll do my very best to help you. You have my word on that."

Man-Wolf snarled, but surprisingly, he seemed to consider this, and glared at Gohan with a penetrating eye. Finally, he growled, "So, you want to know my shame, the secret of my disgrace? Fine! I'll tell you! The moon!" he shouted, his voice growing in pitch until it was a full howl. "The full moon! Jackie Chun destroyed the moon and now I'm going to make him suffer!"

"The moon!" Gohan exclaimed, all of it suddenly making sense. He had heard once that Jackie Chun destroyed the moon at the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament to, it was later revealed, stop Goku from causing too much damage when he had transformed into an Oozaru. And, back in his own time, Piccolo himself had brought a second death to the moon during his brief encounter with it while he was training for the Saiyans.

But in this time, the moon was gone, and another piece of the puzzle was right there in front of him:

_"A wolf-man changes into a werewolf at the full moon_,_ but my kind transform into men during the full moon..."_

_That means Man-Wolf must be trapped as a wolf forever_,_ unable to become a man ever again!_ Gohan realized with a renewed wave of pity.

"So now you see, the only way you can help me is by letting me through the Elimination Round so I can get my revenge on Jackie Chun!" Man-Wolf snarled almost pleadingly.

"No," Gohan said sadly. "Even if I did let you through to the tournament, you wouldn't be any match for Jackie Chun. And besides, hurting Jackie won't make the pain go away; it will only make it grow."

"Spare me your philosophical nonsense!" Man-Wolf growled. "You say you want to help me, hah! I should have known better! You only wanted to mock me and have a laugh at my expense! Ready or not, you're going down, kid!"

And with that, Man-Wolf charged at Gohan again. Gohan was prepared to continue to try to talk sense into Man-Wolf when someone intervened...

"Hold it. I may have a way to settle this dispute."

For the second time that day Man-Wolf froze in confusion, and Gohan turned his head around to see who had spoken.

It was Jackie Chun. He had apparently been listening to the whole thing. He stepped forward with a determined air.

Man-Wolf laughed. "How fitting! Jackie Chun himself comes forward so I can slaughter him!"

To the surprise of everyone gathered, Man-Wolf hopped out of the ring and charged at Jackie Chun, but at the last second, Jackie held out his index finger. It was too late for Man-Wolf to stop and it struck him at the base of his temple, effectively paralyzing him.

For a moment, no one spoke, but then Gohan turned to the announcer and said, "So, what does that mean?"

Those words seemed to jolt the ref back to himself and he said, "Uh, well, fighter Number 56 has left the ring, so that makes Number 45 the winner!"

Ignoring the cheers of the other fighters, Gohan stepped down from the ring and approached Jackie Chun and the still-paralyzed Man-Wolf.

"What are you going to do, Jackie?" Gohan asked. "Without the moon, there's no way he can become a man again. How are you going to solve this?"

Jackie Chun's eyes sparkled. "With a little magic, kid."

Gohan was confused.

Jackie Chun turned to where Goku and the others were watching. "Krillin! Come over here!"

"What's up, Jackie?" Krillin said.

"Stand here," Jackie Chun motioned, placing Krillin in front of Man-Wolf but facing away from him.

"Now focus on Krillin's head," Jackie told Man-Wolf.

"I assume, Jackie, that my head's a stand-in for the moon?" Krillin wondered.

"Hm-hmm," Jackie said. "Yup. That's the plan, boy."

"I'm happy to help out, Jackie, but I don't think this is going to work," Krillin said pessimistically. "If my head could turn lunar, we'd all be in trouble. It'd turn Goku back into a monster," he whispered that last part.

"Your head won't work on its own, but under hypnosis, it should fool him," Jackie clarified.

Jackie Chun held out his hands in front of Man-Wolf, moving them a certain way. "Clear your mind and focus on Krillin's head," Jackie commanded.

Jackie stood totally fascinated at the sight of Krillin's head.

"Now watch as it changes into a full moon," Jackie Chun instructed. "All of your thoughts are transfixed upon its brilliant glow. Feel its power course through your veins as it separates beast from man."

Man-Wolf was panting and howling.

"Now change!" Jackie shouted.

And with a pop, Man-Wolf had transformed into an ugly-looking little man.

For a moment everyone in the hall looked shocked, while Man-Wolf himself stared down at his hands in total disbelief. Then he threw them up and shouted happily, "It worked! I'm... normal!"

"What some call progress I'll never understand," Jackie Chun muttered.

Man-Wolf grabbed Jackie Chun's hands. "Jackie Chun, I don't know how to thank you, but thank you!"

"Your face says it all," Jackie Chun said.

And then Man-Wolf turned and rushed over to Gohan, grabbing his hands as well and saying, "And you, kid, I never should have doubted you! I'm cured! Now I look like everybody else!"

"Uh, that's okay, Mr. Man-Wolf," Gohan insisted. "Really!"

Man-Wolf turned to leave. "Goodbye!"

He ran out of the hall, saying, "Just think of the money I'll save on shampoo alone!"

For a minute there was a stunned silence, then an announcement sounded.

"Attention, contestants. We will now break for a 90-minute recess."

"Yippee!" Goku exclaimed. "Time for lunch!"

And they all ran out of the hall, Jackie Chun following somewhat resignedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the Elimination Round tourney as I envision it:
> 
> 1st Block  
Yamcha  
Goku
> 
> 2nd Block  
Icarus  
Krillin
> 
> 3rd Block  
Tien  
Chiaotzu
> 
> 4th Block  
Pamput  
Jackie Chun


	6. Preliminary Knockouts, Part 3

Half an hour later, there could be found a large group of hungry fighters congregating in the mess hall branching off of the competition chamber, chowing down and making small talk and witty banter and the occasional sharp remark all the while they nibbled at their own respectable dishes at a leisurely pace.

But none of them could compare to the lords of food that were seated at one of the far tables...

Goku Son was, as always, being his usual gluttonous self, but Gohan Son was nearly straining with the effort of holding himself back. He noticed he was growing a lot more comfortable in this time, as if the more time he spent here, the more at ease he began to relate with his friends and future father, but he was still awfully leery of piquing the others' curiosity, and so he had decided not to give them any more clues to his identity.

And that included keeping himself from giving in to his Saiyan appetite and falling all over his food like a deranged cannibal. He had made that mistake once before, but he did not intend to repeat it.

His stomach was practically howling in protest of his actions, but all in all, Gohan had to admit, it seemed like it had been a good idea; his friends were all too absorbed in Goku's massacre of food to pay any attention to Gohan, and for that alone it was worth it.

Gohan was jerked back to attention when he noticed Goku choking on a rather large slab of steak. He began pounding his chest. Krillin handed him a glass of water.

"Here," he said.

Goku drank it down loudly.

"Anyone ever told you you have horrible table manners?" Krillin snorted.

"I agree," Jackie Chun said.

A moment of silence followed.

"This year's Elimination Round is tough," Jackie added. "Don't ya think?"

Gohan shrugged nonchalantly, but said, "It seems pretty challenging, but I'm confident I'm going to make it." He said this merely for show, of course; apart from Cell, there was no other being in this altered reality that came close to his level. He only hoped that remained true...

"Huh, maybe to you, but so far all our matches have been a cinch," Krillin said haughtily. "I'm not worried."

"Krillin!" Jackie Chun scolded, slipping into "lecturing mode." "Only a fool would presume such arrogance! There's no room in the ring for overbearing pride. Closing your mind to the prospect of failure will only ensure your defeat!"

Gohan nodded his agreement.

"Too bad, but you sound more like Master Roshi than Jackie Chun," Krillin commented.

"Yeah, you do," Yamcha added. "I'd swear you were him if you didn't have so much hair!"

Gohan decided to help Master Roshi out of the hole he had suddenly dug himself into.

"If he was Master Roshi, why would he enter the tournament in disguise?" Gohan said reasonably. "What would he stand to gain from it? I think he just wants to help you, Krillin. And it's like I said: You shouldn't close your mind to something just because you may not like it. Haven't you ever heard the saying, 'You can't judge a book by its cover?'"

"Hmmm," Krillin replied speculatively. "I guess you're right. Sorry, Mr. Chun. I'll try to be more open-minded."

Yamcha nodded in assent.

Goku was too engrossed in his food to answer.

Jackie Chun sent a quick, grateful glance Gohan's way. Gohan nodded almost imperceptibly.

Just then, there was a bang, a clatter of dishes, and a rough voice shouted, "You miserable slop!"

They all turned.

It was Tien. He had a waiter by his collar and was shaking him about violently.

"That jerk!" Yamcha growled.

"Please, don't hurt me!" the waiter desperately begged.

"You pass this waste off as food?" Tien snapped. "The stench alone is enough to make me lose my stomach! After a hard day's fight, I expect a decent meal!"

Gohan wanted nothing more than to save the poor waiter from the wrath of Tien, but he reminded himself sternly that it wasn't his place to interfere. _Wait and see what happens_, he told himself silently. _This had to have happened in the original timeline also_,_ so what stopped Tien in that time? If it doesn't look like something is going to come along and prevent this_,_ I'll step in. Until then_,_ be patient_,_ Gohan._

And sure enough, something did happen.

"So go cook one!"

It was Yamcha. During the distraction, he had left his seat and was now standing five feet away from Tien.

"What?!" Tien snarled, instantly dropping the waiter and turning around to face the one who dared to interrupt him.

"What's wrong?" Goku wondered.

"Yamcha and Tien are having a... disagreement," Gohan answered, ready to jump in and break both of them up if it looked like a fight was going to ensue.

"Oh, it's you," Tien scoffed.

"If you can't play nice, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Yamcha said boldly.

"Really?" Tien said. "Hmph. I've seen you fight, and you're pretty good for an amateur. You think you're ready for me?"

"Yes!"

"Here I am, come get me!" Tien declared, assuming a fighting stance.

"With pleasure!" Yamcha retorted, sinking into his own stance.

_That's it_,_ I think it's time to intervene_, Gohan thought, making to sit up, but Jackie Chun grabbed his shoulder. Turning to look at the old Master, Gohan saw Jackie shake his head no. Dumbfounded, Gohan watched as Jackie sauntered onto the floor and placed a restraining hand on Yamcha's arm.

"Don't do it," Jackie advised. "This is not the time or place to fight. Got it?"

There was a terse silence, but then Tien sneered and said cuttingly, "You could've been killed. Thank the old man."

Laughingly rudely, Tien turned to his partner and said, "Chiaotzu, we're done!"

Both of them walked off.

Gohan didn't pay much attention to the conversation going on around him. He stared after Tien and Chiaotzu's retreating forms, his brows furrowed and a frown etched on his face. Making his decision, Gohan stood up and walked after them.

* * *

"Did you see that?" Tien said. "What a bunch of losers. They can't even bring themselves to stand up to a decaying old man."

"You will defeat them, yes, Tien?" Chiaotzu questioned.

Tien laughed. "Of course. Their training is deficient in almost several ways. Crushing them will be as easy as standing on my own two feet. Though I do wonder if any of them have the capacity to at least give me a halfway decent run for my money."

"Tien," a voice behind him said.

Startled, Tien and Chiaotzu turned to find that same little kid who had been with them standing right behind them. He was tall with black spiked hair and a purple fighting gi. Currently, he was favoring Tien with a rather piercing look.

"You!" Tien exclaimed. "What do you want? Why are you following me?!"

Gohan took in a deep breath and stepped forward, ready for the confrontation of his lifetime.

"That waiter could have been hurt!" Gohan admonished him. "Why did you do it, Tien?"

"What?!" Tien said. "This is why you chose to bother me? For an explanation into the insights of my actions? I don't have to justify myself to you!"

"You're wrong, Tien," Gohan said softly. "What you're doing is cruel. You know, you don't have to do this. The path you walk is a short and narrow one, and it only ends in one way: Your defeat."

Tien snarled. "You little whelp!" he shouted. "How dare you lecture me?! As if I were some common vandal you caught breaking into a jewelry store! I can assure you, no one is as strong as me! Especially not you, you snot-nosed little urchin!"

Gohan sighed sadly. "Tien, what could have happened to make you so angry? Deep down inside you, I know there is a good and noble spirit, struggling to break out," Gohan said. "It can offer you so much more than the self-destructive glories you seek. But to free it, you must first cast off the restrictive shackles of Shen's corruptive training."

"What?!" Tien yelled in shock. "That does it, you little brat. You may insult me, you may degrade our house, but you will notslur my Master and live to get away with it!"

Tien aimed a punch at Gohan, but Gohan threw up a hand and caught it. Tien looked astonished. Chiaotzu gasped.

"Think about it, Tien," Gohan intoned gravely. "Lust and ecstasy and the rush of battle eventually run dry, and will leave you hollow and broken, but devotion to an ideal is lasting, and a lot more beneficial. Honor and duty are more than mere notions, they are at the core of strength, true strength, not the kind Master Shen has tricked you into believing, which diminishes over time. You are honorable, Tien. I can sense that much. Let go of your anger and hatred and be truly strong."

For a brief second Gohan thought he saw a flicker of doubt in Tien's eyes, but he couldn't be sure, for a moment later it was gone and Tien was laughing. "And what could you offer me that is so much more rewarding than my kind of fun? Peace? Honor? Bah! A person is only as strong as their own individual belief is, and I believe in myself! Devotion to an ideal? That serves only to drag you down and bind you to a set of circumstances! I'm better than that! Stronger! Who are you to pass judgment on me? You make your own choices because I've made mine!"

Gohan released Tien's hand and stepped off, nodding. "All right. Prove it, then."

With that abrupt end to the conversation Gohan turned and headed back to the others, leaving a very stunned and wordless Tien behind. For a few moments he simply stood there, mulling over Gohan's words.

"Are you all right, Tien?" Chiaotzu asked, concerned for his friend's welfare.

Tien seemed to come to himself. "Yes, I am. Come on, Chiaotzu."

And in an instant Tien was back to his old self, strutting into the main hall to await his next challenge with the eager anticipation of blood for him to shed. But he couldn't help but feel that some part of that kid's words had struck him somewhere and wormed their way into his brain.

_Lust and the rush of battle eventually run dry_,_ but devotion to an ideal is more lasting..._

_There is a good and noble spirit in you_,_ Tien_,_ but to free it_,_ you must first cast off the restrictive shackles of your training..._

Tien shook his head angrily. _That kid is going to pay if he ever comes up against me!_ he reassured himself. _He's just an unenlightened child! He knows nothing of the true nature of power! I'll show him!_

Still though, Tien could not help but shake the feeling that not all of him was convinced...

* * *

For the remaining hour, Gohan, Yamcha, Krillin, Goku, and Jackie Chun breezed through their matches until they were down to their final, deciding fights. The last person to advance to the finals was Jackie Chun, who ousted his adversary with ease. He stepped out of the ring and walked over to the other four.

"Hey, look alive, fellas, we're halfway to the goal post!" he said cheerfully.

"And by the looks of it, you're leading the pack, Jackie," Yamcha said.

"That was great, Mr. Chun," Goku added.

"From here on, it just gets harder," Jackie said sagely.

"Medic!" a voice called from far away.

Curious, all of them turned toward the next arena and saw an Indian man in fuchsia robes sprawled on the floor, knocked unconscious and severely injured.

"Nam!" Goku cried, running over.

Gohan didn't know this man personally, but from the way they were acting, he was a friend of theirs. He followed behind them and came up last.

"Number 99 wins by a knockout! He advances to the championship!" the announcer said.

They looked up and all of them were stunned to find Tien standing there, looking incredibly smug and gazing at his handiwork proudly.

But Gohan had a slight shock; he didn't know how he could tell it, there might have been something in his eyes or his demeanor, or maybe in the way he carried himself, or perhaps even his very aura wasn't as hard as it was before, but somehow, he could sense that Tien wasn't as resolute as he had been before. There was a slight... difference to him.

Some new presence.

Gohan was filled with a surge of sudden hope. He remembered the Tien from his time, the brave warrior who held Cell back long enough for 18 and 16 to escape, the man who had given his life in the pursuit of good, the principled, dedicated fighter he respected just as much as his father and Piccolo, even though he had not seen much of him over the years. Gohan had hoped his words would have gotten through to Tien, and it looked like they had, even if only a very little. That tiny spark of good was still there inside of him; all it needed was a catalyst to set it free.

Gohan was brought back to the present when he sensed his father moving towards Tien, his aura sparking. Without thinking, Gohan jumped forward and brought his arms around Goku, holding him back even as he struggled and shouted heated words at Tien. The others appeared shocked at his casual restraining of Goku, but said nothing.

Gohan simply stared at Tien's back, thinking intently.

_I hope you listen to me_,_ Tien. I may be able to show you the right path_,_ but in the end you're going to have to walk it by yourself._


	7. The Eight Finalists

Gohan and the others had met up with Bulma and the rest of their friends just outside the stands where those attending the tournament as spectators would watch the fights.

"That's great! I'm impressed, guys!" Bulma exclaimed, once they had filled her in on their string of easy victories in the preliminary rounds. "I guess you did learn a thing or two from Master Roshi after all."

"Speaking of Master Roshi, where is he?" Krillin asked.

Gohan could sense Master Roshi in a secluded location, most likely removing his wig and getting ready to rejoin them, but of course the others couldn't know that.

Gohan almost grinned. Master Roshi was so sure he needed to keep up appearances in order to keep his students on the level, but he needn't have bothered. Not to sound arrogant or too presumptuous, but Gohan was certain that if he came up against any one of them, they wouldn't stand a chance. Not because he had anything against them or because he was cocky or whatever, but because he was simply the strongest of them all. End of case.

"I haven't seen him since it started," Bulma was saying.

"Wherever he is," Turtle said, "I'm sure there's trouble."

"It's kinda nice," Bulma said thoughtfully. "I need a break from the old man every now and then."

"I'll tell you what you need."

Master Roshi had reappeared, staring at Bulma with a critical eye as Bulma herself looked the proverbial boy-with-his-hand-in-the-cookie-jar.

"A napkin!" he snorted. "And for your information, I've been hiding amongst the crowd, watching the Elimination Round! I come here to see my boys fight, not stuff my face with sweets!"

"So did you like what ya saw?" Krillin asked.

"Hm-hmm," Master Roshi said. "From what I witnessed, I'd say all three of you have improved a great deal. I think we have a strong shot at winning this title."

"Thanks," Yamcha said.

"We'll win, Master," Krillin assured him.

Gohan chose to say nothing.

A chime sounded across the open grounds, heralding an official announcement. "The championship is about to begin. Will all competitors please report to the temple at this time?"

"I guess that's us," Gohan said cheerfully.

Goku nodded. "Yup. Let's do it!"

"Maybe the rest of you can find a good place to catch the action," Krillin suggested to Bulma and the others.

"With Launch here, anything is possible," Oolong said. "She's good at making room!"

Launch whipped out her trademark pistol. "Follow me, boys! My friend and I will show you the best seats in the house!" she said proudly.

And as Launch shot them a way through the crowd, Gohan and the others could only follow, their heads hanging and hoping none would recognize them.

_This tournament will be a welcome break_,_ but in the end_,_ it's Cell who I'm really interested in_, Gohan thought anxiously. He looked up to the sky, wondering if Cell was nearby somewhere, or if he was watching right this second. Something told him that he was, but it would be useless searching.

_I'm here_,_ Cell_,_ anytime you want to come and get me. I'll be waiting._

* * *

Gohan was in the side room that led outside to the grand arena, his arms folded over his chest and his head lowered with his eyes closed as he leaned against the wall. He was deep in thought. Elsewhere in the room, the other eight finalists were on edge, but not nervous, more like really electrified for the tournament to start; you could almost feel it in the air currents. Some made small talk, others were silent, and the general atmosphere was one of electric anticipation.

"I'm excited to be fighting in the finals, but it's gonna be a little weird if we have to fight each other," Krillin was saying to Yamcha.

"Yeah, I guess so, Krillin," Yamcha said.

"I don't know how you do it," Tien said, walking up behind them, and they turned to face him. "I don't think I could do what you do. Survive on blind luck? It's a shame you don't have any real skills of your own."

"Hmp! You're the lucky one, bozo!" Yamcha retorted. "You've only gotten this far because you haven't fought me yet!"

"Hm. Poor Yamcha," Tien said with mock sympathy. "The only thing more pathetic than a loser is a loser who thinks he's born to win."

Meanwhile, Krillin and Chiaotzu were locked in a staring contest.

"What are you looking at?" Krillin demanded. "Come on, speak if you've got something to say!"

Chiaotzu pointed a finger at Krillin and said, "Baldy."

"Have you looked in the mirror lately?" Krillin said angrily. "You're not exactly sporting a lion's mane, pal!"

"You're wrong," Chiaotzu said calmly, lifting off his head to reveal... a single curly strand of hair!

"That's it?!" Krillin seethed. "You've only got one hair, you pasty unicorn!"

"That's better than none," Chiaotzu shot back, still in the same calm, emotionless manner.

"Chiaotzu, stop it," Tien said softly, putting Chiaotzu's cap back on. "You know you're supposed to keep that hat on, you'll catch a cold."

Chiaotzu stuck his tongue out at Krillin.

"Don't laugh at me!" Krillin shouted.

But all further conversations were negated when the announcer stepped through the door and called out to them.

"Hello? Can you hear me in the back?" he said. "All participants please come forward."

"Hey, nice suit!" Goku complimented him.

"Yes, exquisite, isn't it?" the announcer said, sounding pleasantly surprised. "I had it custom made."

"Neat!" Goku said.

"Nice to see the new generation taking an interest in good taste," the announcer said, and then took a good long stare at Gohan. "Hey, you look like Goku! I'll bet you're his cousin, right?"

Gohan faceplanted. "Uh, no, we just look alike," Gohan laughed nervously, very much aware of all the others' gazes once again directly on him. Even Goku was staring at him in a sort of puzzled interest.

Tien, who was standing off to the side, spoke softly to himself, "Huh, I didn't notice it myself, but that kid definitely bears a resemblance to the little monkey. I think the announcer might have bumbled his way into something that could be of some potential use to us. The way that kid spoke in there before, it was like he knew me. I was going to dismiss it as bravado, but now, I think there's something deeper to it."

"What do you think it is, Tien?" Chiaotzu asked.

"Hmmm," Tien mused. "I don't know. It's hard to say. I just have a feeling that this is very important. Let's keep a closer eye on him in the future, OK, Chiaotzu?"

"Right!" Chiaotzu agreed.

"Fighters will be paired off in the same fashion as in the Elimination Round," the announcer was saying. "When your name is called, please step forward and draw a number from the box." The announcer pulled out a manifest and looked at it. "Listen up, people. First up, Jackie Chun."

"Yeah, yeah," Jackie said, stepping forward to draw his number.

"So the old man won the championship last time," Tien observed. His gaze fell on Goku. "And that little imbecile won the vice-championship? Hmm. Let's see how they how fare together. You think you got that, Chiaotzu?"

"Yep!" Chiaotzu assured him. He lifted his finger.

Jackie reached into the box and took out a ticket.

"Looks like my number is 6," he reported.

"You're going to fight in the third match," the announcer said. "Next up is Yamcha."

"Right."

"This one belongs to me, got it?" Tien said sharply.

"Yep!" Chiaotzu said again.

"Number 1," Yamcha said.

"Very well, you will be fighting in the first match," the announcer said, scribbling it down. "Next, Pamput, please."

"Yes," Pamput said, who was a Hispanic man in boxing shorts with a tan and chiseled physique. He reached into the box and pulled out his ticket.

"Mine is Number 7," he said softly.

"You're in fight four," the announcer confirmed. "Next is Tien."

Tien, knowing that this was all preordained by him, simply reached into the box and waited for his ticket to come to him. He pulled it out, made a show of acting surprised, and with a smug smirk showed it to everyone in the room.

"Number 2."

Yamcha looked positively thrilled.

"All right. That puts you fighting Yamcha in match number 1," said the announcer.

"It's a shame you're not going to get past the first match," Yamcha laughed.

"Tell yourself whatever it takes to get you in the ring, but then you're mine," Tien retorted, walking back to his spot alongside Chiaotzu.

Next up was Krillin, who drew a 4. After that came...

"Icor... Ikar... orus... Ikars?" the announcer said, looking very confused as he stumbled over the words.

"Icarus?" Gohan prompted.

"Uh, yeah, I guess so," the announcer said, scratching his head. "You're up."

"Since our little friend here is somewhat of a mystery, I want to see just what exactly he can do," Tien instructed Chiaotzu. "Put him up against Pamput in the fourth match."

"OK!" Chiaotzu said.

Gohan reached into the box, and after a few moments of rummaging, took out Number 8.

"OK, that means you're facing off against Pamput in match number 4," the announcer said.

Gohan nodded in acceptance of the news but said nothing more and returned to his place by his friends and father.

"Now," said the announcer. "Gya... Chia... zu... zuya... Chiazu..." he said, looking immensely frustrated at having two hard-to-pronounce names to call right after the other.

"Chiaotzu," Chiaotzu corrected him.

"Ahem. Uh, please draw," the announcer said.

Chiaotzu, who had privately decided he wanted Krillin, simply reached in and telekinetically drew Number 3 to him. Chiaotzu relayed this news to the announcer, and Krillin suddenly looked pleased. But then, before he could say anything, a serious look stole over his face as he remembered what Icarus and Jackie had been saying not too long ago. He thought about it for a bit, and then decided it would be easier to remain neutral, neither too optimistic nor too judgmental, until his fight with Chiaotzu.

_That Icarus guy is right_, Krillin thought to himself. _You really can't judge a book by its cover._

"Well, Goku, everyone else is accounted for, which means you're Number 5," the announcer deduced. "That puts you fighting in the third match against the standing Champion, Jackie Chun."

Goku looked perplexed. "How could I be Number 5 if I didn't draw a number?" he asked.

Gohan slapped his hand to his forehead in exasperation. _Oh_,_ Father_, he thought, half in irritation, half in delight. _You're still the same._

And to the surprise of everyone there, Goku ran forward and stuck his hand in the box. And, to nobody's surprise except Goku, he took out a Number 5.

"Hey, you're right! I'm Number 5," Goku said in amazement. "How'd you know that?"

"Uh, lucky, I guess," the announcer said uncertainly.

Tien laughed loudly. "Your Master Roshi really picks his pupils from the cream of the crop, doesn't he?"

Yamcha and Krillin were burning red in embarrassment. So was Gohan.

"What's, funny about wanting to pick your own number?" Chiaotzu asked.

"Nothing. Be quiet, Chiaotzu," Tien said sternly.

"All the fights have been decided," the announcer told them. "Match 1 will have Yamcha fighting Tien. The second match will be Chia... Chia... autzu..."

"Chiaotzu!" Chiaotzu interjected.

"... versus Krillin," finished the announcer. "The third match, Goku versus Jackie Chun. And the fourth and final match, Pamput versus..."

"Icarus!" Gohan threw in, knowing the announcer was likely to stumble over it just like he had Chiaotzu's.

The announcer nodded in his direction. "Lastly, when your name is called, promptly enter the ring," he said. "Are there any questions?"

There were none.

"I anticipated you'd want a feast before the fights, so we're prepared for you this time," the announcer told Goku.

"That's great!" Goku exclaimed enthusiastically.

Tien laughed again. "Are all your teammates that focused?"

The rest of them were examining the board.

"At least we don't have to compete against each other in the first round of fights," Krillin noted. "Huh, that's a relief."

"No, that's a coincidence," Jackie Chun corrected him. "But a good one."

_Yeah_,_ it's almost a little __too__ convenient_, Gohan thought with sudden suspicion. He had felt some kind of odd wind when he had reached in for his ticket. After a moment, he shook it off, realizing that there was probably no way Cell could have been so close without him detecting him, much less influenced the slots.

Off in the distance, Tien and Chiaotzu stood together, snickering.

"It's amazing these fools got this far," Tien commented. "They don't suspect a thing, and not surprising, but you did a good job." He directed this last bit to Chiaotzu.

With a nod, Chiaotzu lifted up his finger again and the tickets drawn flew up and started swirling in the air.

"Chiaotzu!" Tien scolded. "Stop it!"

* * *

The time remaining until the first match dwindled down until there were only a few minutes left. Gohan was standing near the partition dividing the back area from the main ring when a chime sounded. Looking up in surprise, Gohan listened to the announcement.

"Attention," it said. "A family's asking for help locating their senile, old-as-dirt grandfather. He's described as being short, fat and bald. The family says he closely resembles an ugly turtle. So, if you have any information on his whereabouts, please contact an official."

_That sounds like Master Roshi_, Gohan thought. _One of the others must have wondered where he went to and called him in!_

"That would be too much of a coincidence, don't you think?" he heard Krillin say from behind him.

"The description does sound a lot like Master Roshi," Yamcha admitted.

"Malarkey!" Jackie Chun protested. "Master Roshi isn't fat!"

Gohan stifled his laughter. _Master Roshi's so silly. I sometimes wonder how the others haven't made the connection between him and Jackie Chun yet._

"Welcome to the show!" the announcer's voice came from the ring. "I'm your host! Are you ready for this?"

The crowd cheered.

"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for, the World Martial Arts Championship! Many of you are looking at me with those adorable clueless faces and saying, 'Hey, what's this all about?' Some of you already know that we started with 182 competitors who came to vie for the championship title, and the prize of 500,000 zeni, but that's ancient history, because the massive board has been whittled down to eight finalists, who are appearing here today to fight for you!"

The crowd cheered again.

"That's right! I guarantee the fights you're expecting are going to be spectacular! It's time to lay down the law. Each match will proceed without a time limit and without interruption. The fighter loses only if he's thrown out, steps out, or gets knocked out for at least 10 seconds! Without further delay, the first match begins right now as Yamcha battles Tien Shinhan! Here we go!"

"You've met the person who's going to take you down, ya hear me, Three-Eyes?" Yamcha boasted as they stepped into the ring.

"Oh?" Tien quipped. "I didn't know you had a sense of humor."

"When you bring together such talented warriors as these, there are bound to be some interesting stories, and what will surely astound trivia buffs for years, nearly half of today's competitors are from the same house!" the announcer shouted. "Yamcha is one of three pupils representing the Turtle Hermit Master Roshi in the Championship Round."

"Master's out there somewhere," Goku said. "I hope."

"Don't worry," Gohan said consolingly. "He's closer than you think, Goku."

Goku turned and nodded at him with a smile.

"Tien Shinhan represents the Crane Hermit Master Shen," the announcer continued. "Judging by the reputations of their instructors, these warriors should put on quite a show! So now that we all know each other, whaddya say we get to some action?"

Gohan wanted to get a better view, so, without thinking, he stepped over to the wall and levitated up alongside Goku and Krillin, who were hanging on the ledge. Thankfully, they were so distracted they didn't even notice it. They heard the sounds of footsteps, and all turned to see Chiaotzu walking up behind them.

"How's the view, baldy?" he taunted Krillin.

Krillin growled but remained silent.

"I was born to fight," Yamcha was saying to Tien. "You have no idea who you're messing with."

"Does it matter?" Tien shot back. "I'm still going to win."

"Now who has a sense of humor?" Yamcha sniffed.

The sound of drums could be heard in the background, rising in pitch as the eager tension in the audience skyrocketed. And then...

GONG!

"Match 1, begin!" the announcer screamed.

"I'll start off real slow, Tien, you just try and keep up with me," Yamcha said tauntingly, assuming a fighting stance.

"Hmp. Do what makes you feel good, Yamcha," Tien snorted. "It's your funeral."

He took his own stance.

For a few seconds, they were still, staring down each other steely cold determination. And then, suddenly, Gohan heard a gasp.

Glancing around quickly, Gohan saw Krillin staring directly at him, and, he finally realized, he was floating right in front of them!

Hastily lowering himself to the ground, Gohan also knew it was too late to repair the damage.

"Whoa!" Goku exclaimed. "Neat! How can you do that?"

"Uh... um... er, uh... uh..." Gohan stammered, unable to think of a reply.

And then, with lightning-quick speed, Yamcha launched himself at Tien.

And the battle began.


	8. Yamcha vs. Tien

At the last minute Yamcha jumped and launched himself at Tien with a flying kick, which Tien blocked with his arm. Tien countered with a chop, but Yamcha had twisted his body around and his momentum carried him over Tien and to the other side.

Gohan, who had been fidgeting nervously on the sidelines, trying to think up an explanation, saw a means to distract his suddenly enraptured audience from his momentary slip.

"Hey, the match has begun!" he pointed out with exaggerated enthusiasm, hoping they fell for it.

"Hey, he's right! Go, Yamcha!" Goku cheered, forgetting all about Gohan's unusual ability.

Krillin spared one last inquisitive frown at Gohan, then turned his attention back on the fight too. Gohan had the sinking feeling that Krillin knew his change in subject was just a way for him to divert them. _What am I going to do?_ he wondered.

Meanwhile, Tien threw himself at Yamcha, jabbing his arms at him with super speed, but Yamcha managed to dodge or block them every time. Tien finally ended with a kick, but Yamcha leaped away from it, jumping high in the air, and coming down with a kick, which Tien blocked with his arms crossed over his face.

Yamcha backflipped away from Tien, but then Tien flung himself at Yamcha, and once he had gotten close, somersaulted behind him, aiming a punch which Yamcha blocked with his elbow. Tien launched a cross chop at Yamcha, which Yamcha ducked under, following with a side swipe, but Yamcha countered with a series of rapid jabs into his chest.

Yamcha ended with a final punch, but Tien ducked under it and got an uppercut to Yamcha, who narrowly missed it. Yamcha knocked Tien back, launching into a barrage of punches and kicks which Tien managed to dodge. Tien threw a punch at Yamcha, but Yamcha caught it, landing a kick into Tien's abdomen. Tien looked slightly surprised, but followed up with another punch.

Yamcha latched onto Tien's wrist, but during the distraction Tien had brought his knee up and it connected with Yamcha's face, knocking Yamcha back a few yards. Tien leaped high after Yamcha.

"Some extraordinary moves by Yamcha, which proves he can really roll with the punches!" the announcer boomed, even as Tien launched into a series of downward jabs which Yamcha rolled to avoid.

As he came to the end of his circuit, Yamcha twisted his body around and shifted upward with a kick that landed squarely on Tien's face. Tien staggered back slightly, then countered with a kick that sent Yamcha flying, but Yamcha caught hold of himself and somersaulted across the ring.

Tien flew at Yamcha, but Yamcha jumped to avoid it. Tien also took to the air, and once they had reached one another, they entered into a brief flurry, but Yamcha was able to knock Tien down. Both fighters landed easily on their feet.

The silence was deafening.

"What a fight!" Krillin exclaimed, quivering in terror.

"This is exciting!" Goku said.

Gohan could sense both were holding back, but he felt it wise not to comment, especially since he was trying to keep a low profile on his slip-up and not draw any attention to it. But besides that, he was worried for Yamcha. He could sense his Ki was not as high as Tien's, and if he didn't get his act together soon he was going to be beaten.

Gohan bit his lip in anxiety. _I hope Yamcha ends up okay_, Gohan thought.

"Wow!" said the announcer. "That's all I can say! What a breathtaking start for the first fight! Yamcha and Tien seem evenly matched! The result is unbelievable!

"Time's up!" Yamcha shouted. "Wolf Fang Blowing Wind technique!"

Gohan unfolded his arms. _What's that?_ he wondered. _Will it make any difference and will it help Yamcha win?_

"Heh, sounds like fun!" Tien called back.

Yamcha sank into a fighting stance. After a few terse moments, Yamcha launched himself at Tien. They met in the center of the ring and entered into another fast-paced flurry. Finally, Tien managed to get Yamcha's guard down, and threw a punch at Yamcha's face, but Yamcha barely managed to get to the side and avoid it, somersaulting backwards.

As he landed, Yamcha latched onto Tien's arm, and for a brief second it looked like a wolf was biting onto him. Tien looked somewhat surprised. Yamcha moved his hands up Tien's arm and thrust a clawed hand at Tien's face, which Tien twisted to the side to avoid. Tien threw a jab at Yamcha, which Yamcha also moved to dodge.

A thin cut appeared on their faces where their attacks had missed.

Yamcha aimed a punch at Tien, which Tien caught, and they entered into a flurry of punches for the next few minutes. Out in the audience, Bulma was smacking poor Oolong as she rooted on Yamcha enthusiastically.

Yamcha jumped up with a punch aimed at Tien, but Tien managed to counter, and they both ended up flying. They quickly got to their feet and resumed their fighting stance.

Gohan was disappointed. He had expected more out of Yamcha's technique. Worse yet, Yamcha had used up precious energy to coordinate his attack, leaving him winded and completely open to Tien's counterattack.

Tien evidently felt the same way.

"So what?" he scoffed. "That's it? Your big technique? You should call it Wolf Fang Blowing Hot Air."

"Right, lemme put it to you another way," Yamcha retorted.

He jumped high, his figure obscured by the glowing sun overhead. His shadow rematerialized a few seconds later, taking on the shape of a wolf, and he came down on Tien. Tien managed to block Yamcha's first hit, but after an exchange of kicks, Yamcha was able to knock Tien away.

The crowd cheered wildly.

Tien was huddled on the floor, groaning in pain.

"What? What was that?" Yamcha mocked. "I'm sorry, I can't understand you. I don't speak Pain."

"Aren't you worried?" Krillin observed, staring at Chiaotzu. "Your teammate just got his butt kicked from what I'm seeing."

Chiaotzu turned to Krillin and simply smiled.

Gohan knew it must have looked like Tien was defeated, but during that entire scrap, his Ki hadn't fluctuated one bit. Yamcha was in big trouble. He was tiring out while Tien was growing stronger! He was going to lose if he didn't do something!

Out on the arena, Tien was laughing. Yamcha looked a bit surprised.

"What you lack in skill," Tien said as he rose to his feet, "you more than make up for in amusement. Though I do think your one-liners are just a bit over the top, don't you?"

"You want over the top, I'll give you over the top!" Yamcha snarled.

And he jumped up again. Except this time, Gohan could sense Tien gathering his Ki and using it to strengthen his muscles, so much so that he appeared to be growing red from the exertion. Yamcha came back down, landing another series of kicks on Tien, not one of which made it through.

"Wow, nice one," Krillin commented.

"Yes," Jackie agreed, "but... not enough."

Gohan nodded. "You can see it in the way he moves. He's using up way too much energy. I'm afraid it's all over for Yamcha."

Goku and Krillin turned to stare at Gohan in shock.

"How can you say that?!" Krillin demanded. "You shouldn't be giving up on Yamcha like that!"

"I'm not giving up on Yamcha," Gohan said softly. "I'm just stating a fact. He's going to lose."

Jackie Chun nodded in agreement. "Yes. I believe young Icarus is correct. Unless Yamcha manages to knuckle down and get his bearings back, this match has already been decided."

Both Goku and Krillin turned back to the fight with dread.

Meanwhile, Tien and Yamcha had thrown themselves into yet another fast-paced flurry, but Tien got the upper hand and elbowed Yamcha's face. He then began pummeling him and finally managed to knock him to the floor, finishing with one last kick that sent Yamcha flying.

Now it was Yamcha's turn to huddle on the floor, grunting in pain.

"It looks like Icarus is right," Krillin exclaimed in shock. "Man, Yamcha's getting creamed out there. Not good."

"He's hurt," Goku said in concern.

"For someone who doesn't speak Pain," Tien remarked to Yamcha, "you sound very fluent."

"You've three eyes," Yamcha snapped. "Use them and read my lips. I'm no quitter. I've trained too hard to lose this match."

And with a cry of "This one's for Nam!" Yamcha threw himself at Tien, but Tien slammed a fist into Yamcha's stomach, following with a kick that once again sent Yamcha flying.

"Oh, come on!" Tien said. "Surely you can do better than that!"

Yamcha struggled to his feet, but by that time he was laughing!

"Surprise," he said.

"Hm?" said Tien.

"I just got my second wind," Yamcha said. "And it's blowing like a hurricane."

And with that he cupped his hands and brought them to his side.

Gohan saw at once what was coming.

"What's Yamcha doing?" Krillin wondered. "Why's he waving?"

"Kamehameha!" Goku said.

Indeed, Yamcha was getting set up for the traditional attack of the Roshi Turtle House.

"Ka... me..." Yamcha said.

"You're right!" Krillin realized. "How's he gonna pull that one off?"

"YAMCHA!" Gohan shouted. "IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK! TIEN IS JUST GOING TO DEFLECT IT! DON'T WASTE YOUR ENERGY! YOU CAN STILL WIN THIS MATCH WITHOUT IT!"

"What?" Yamcha said. "Butt out, kid, this is my fight! Ha... me..."

Gohan frowned, preparing himself to intervene when ready. He wasn't going to just stand by and allow innocents to be hurt.

"You should listen to your friend," Tien snorted. "But, it's your choice. Do it at your own risk."

"Haaaaaaaaah!" Yamcha finished, and a huge blue-white beam of energy erupted out of Yamcha's hands, heading straight for Tien!

Tien brought his hands together and started summoning energy to repel the attack. And indeed, at the last moment, with a ferocious cry Tien pushed the beam away using nothing but his Ki!

"It's coming back!" Krillin screamed.

"He turned it around!" Goku cried.

"On us!" Jackie shouted.

Gohan's brow furrowed with concentration. He knew his time had come. He flash-sped behind Yamcha, hovering a few feet above the ground, prepared to stop it before it could go any further and hurt innocent people.

Before it could hit, Yamcha jumped. Gohan stared down the blast bravely, and summoned Ki to strengthen his muscles. The Kamehameha blast struck him square in the chest, but Gohan just stood (floated?) there, letting the beam wash against his chest, and, after a few seconds, it dissipated. He hadn't even felt it.

The crowd was muttering in shock.

"Wow, look at that!" Krillin exclaimed. "That Icarus kid actually took the blast head-on! And he doesn't even look very tired!"

"Whoa, amazing!" Goku exclaimed.

"Just who is this kid?" Krillin wondered.

But their sudden shock was diverted when Yamcha came crashing back down to the ground, battered and unconscious. They all looked up and found Tien in the air, smirking down at his handiwork.

"Hey, no fair!" Goku whined.

But Tien wasn't finished yet. He was coming down with his leg outstretched, and from the position he was at, it looked like he was heading directly for Yamcha. He was going to break his leg! He slammed his knee down on the spot where Yamcha's leg was...

Only to find he wasn't there, and his knee hit the arena. Tien screamed in agony.

"Huh?" Master Shen said from the audience.

All eyes looked for Yamcha, and found that he was in the arms of Icarus, who was floating stationary in midair, twenty yards away, his eyes locked on Tien with an accusatory gaze.

"You were going to break his leg, weren't you?" he demanded angrily. Setting Yamcha down, he turned to the announcer and said, "Sir, Yamcha was unconscious, so that made Tien the winner, right?"

The announcer, who was standing off to the side, seemed to come back to reality with those words, and said, "Um, yes. Yamcha was knocked out, so match number 1 goes to Tien." He turned to look at Tien. "But I'd like to remind the competitors that this tournament is meant to entertain and is not supposed to be taken so seriously. We urge all contestants to please fight within the reasonable limits of Humanity."

"SHUT UP!" Tien thundered at the announcer, still smarting from running into the arena floor, where there was a large crack in the tile. The announcer cowered, and Tien turned to glare at Gohan. "As for you, you little brat, you had better make sure there is not a match between us in this tournament, because I will show you no mercy when that day comes!"

And with that, Tien stalked off, leaving behind a very shocked audience and a grim-looking Gohan.


	9. Interlude

After all the excitement of the first match, a 30-minute break was called by the tournament committee to give the audience time to settle down, first with the stimulating kickoff to the tournament, then to almost getting killed by that rogue Kamehameha Wave (fortunately averted by that mysterious young boy, who many people felt quietly indebted to), and then finally with the near-disastrous end to match 1, again averted by that strange boy.

To say that the people watching this competition were nervous was an understatement.

In the waiting room behind the main arena, Gohan sat on the bench, his head in his hands, alone with his thoughts as the others checked on the still-unconscious Yamcha, but thankfully, his injuries were not as severe as they might have been thanks to Gohan.

_What am I going to do now?_ he thought over and over again. _I just gave away a lot of my secrets. Piccolo is right; it's better not to act in a situation like this at all if you don't have a plan. But what was I supposed to do? I couldn't just stand by and allow innocent people to be hurt_,_ no matter if it did happen in my timeline. Argh_,_ this is so __confusing__!_

But for as much as Gohan could regret it, he also could not take it back, nor, if given the chance, he reminded himself, would he. This world was real, he was here, now, in this time, and it was as important to him as his own, and he would not let the people of this future suffer the disasters that may or may not have occurred in his reality.

The sounds of footsteps nearby awakened Gohan to the goings-on of the outside world, and he looked up.

Yamcha was back on his feet, looking bruised and as grim as Gohan had ever seen him, but otherwise no worse for wear. Goku and Krillin were silent, and Gohan could sense their hesitation around him, but more than, there was a sense of overwhelming curiosity and, to Gohan's slight alarm, a near undetectable aura of caution.

Gohan realized with a pang of guilt that they now saw him as a threat, a potentially dangerous opponent whom they knew nothing about and who in fact might prove to be a deadly villain. And Gohan realized that they had every right to think that way; he had given them nothing about him, keeping his true nature hidden behind a veil of obscurity, all the while displaying skills and abilities far beyond what they themselves were accustomed to and which would make him a very tough adversary if indeed he proved to be a force for darkness.

Gohan decided he had to clear this all up, if only so they didn't grow too suspicious and attack him. Besides, he didn't think he could bear his younger father thinking of him as one of his countless enemies hell-bent on taking over the world.

But before he could say anything, Yamcha spoke up.

"I'd like to thank you, Icarus," he said softly.

Gohan was puzzled. "Uh, for what?" he asked, his mind focused solely on what he would say to get out of his predicament.

Yamcha looked flabbergasted. "For what? For saving my butt, is what!" Yamcha said loudly. "From what it sounds like, that Tien creep wasn't going to settle for anything less than sending me home in pieces! You put an end to that."

And with that he stuck out his hand.

"Ah, hey, well, you know, I couldn't let him hurt you," Gohan said, taking it in a very light grasp and giving it a firm shake.

Yamcha smiled, but Gohan could see behind his back Goku and Krillin exchanging a brief, meaningful look. It made Gohan's stomach churn.

"Goku?" he said tentatively. "Uh, Krillin? What..."

Krillin was livid. "Why didn't you tell us you had abilities like that?" he demanded angrily.

"Krillin..." Goku tried to placate his enraged friend, but it was no use.

"What are you hiding, Icarus?" he pushed on. "Ever since we met, you've been keeping secrets from us and jerking us around this way and that whenever it suited you. Why? That's what I want to know! Why didn't you tell us the truth? What are you up to? We can't trust you when you keep secrets!"

Yamcha wanted to stop Krillin and tell him to lay off Icarus, especially considering the kid had just — quite possibly — saved him from a long stay in the hospital, but in his heart of hearts he knew Icarus was hiding something too. And every now and then he let something slip and would try to cover it up. He almost acted like Goku did when he was trying to hide something...

_Icarus and Gohan definitely could be related_, he thought. _Maybe that's his big secret — he's here to check to see if they're cousins or whatever_,_ and he doesn't want to tell us until he's sure. They could be brothers. They're so much alike._

Icarus was saying morosely, "Krillin, I'm sorry I didn't tell you everything, but please believe me when I say I didn't do it to hurt you. It's just... too big for me to deal with right now. I promise, when I feel it's the right time, I'll let you guys know. Until then, I just can't! But I'm not here to hurt or even kill you. I swear it!"

Goku's head was tilted as he stared critically at Gohan. He wanted to believe this strange boy. There was just something about him... a certain earnestness or some other quality that made Goku want to trust him. He didn't know why, but he felt an odd connection to Icarus, a subconscious bond not even he was aware of. He was sure Icarus hadn't done it to hurt them, but for his own understandable reasons. He would therefore give Icarus the benefit of the doubt.

"I believe you," he declared.

Krillin didn't say anything more to Gohan; he simply favored him with a withering look, then turned to walk away.

"Don't worry about him," Yamcha said. "He's just a little steamed. He'll cool down in a while." Yamcha looked pensive. "Maybe a good fight is just what he needs to work off some of that excess stress."

"Maybe," Gohan said cautiously, hoping not to appear too sad that Krillin didn't trust him or too relieved that he had stopped his questioning.

"But how can you fly, Icarus?" Goku suddenly blurted. "Can you teach me how to do that?"

Gohan started. It was hard to believe his father — even his younger self — asking him for help. He'd always thought of his father as strong and fearless, an indomitable leader who could always do things on his own and asked for help only so as not to make others feel bad. So to hear him now, asking for help with something he already knew in Gohan's mind, was strangely unsettling, to say the least.

"Um... well, to fly, you have to have a lot of energy," Gohan explained somewhat uncertainly. "More than that, you have to have enough to be able to cushion it underneath you and sort of... propel yourself up. It's hard to explain since I've been doing it naturally most of my life."

"All right!" Goku exclaimed. "So you will teach me how to do it!"

Gohan nearly groaned. "I didn't say that, Goku," he said evasively. "I... don't have a lot of time after the tournament."

"Well, will you just teach me during the tournament? You know, when we're not fighting each other?" Goku persisted, grinning widely and looking reverently at Gohan, something that quite frankly unnerved him.

But Gohan himself was considering Goku's words. _I shouldn't even be thinking about it!_ he chastised himself. _Who knows the impacts this will have on the future if Daddy learns how to fly early?_ Then a new idea entered Gohan's thoughts. _This could be an opportunity to spend some time with Father before I leave. I know I have to place the good of the future before my own wishes_,_ but I miss my daddy so much... and he hasn't changed __that__ much from the boy standing before me. Oh_,_ I don't know what to do!_

"Please?" Goku begged, staring at him with those oh-so-innocent black eyes, and Gohan later decided that those eyes had temporarily unbalanced him, for he had no way of stopping what he said next.

"Yes, OK," he found himself saying somewhat hesitantly. "I'll teach you."

"Yay!" Goku jumped up and down for joy, and even though Gohan knew he'd be causing a major change in the history of this timeline, he knew he had done the right thing. Seeing that look of happiness on his father's face more than made up for the potential repercussions this action would bring.

"Hold on," Yamcha interrupted.

Gohan and Goku halted and turned to look at him.

"What makes you think only Goku wants to learn?" Yamcha demanded. "It sounds like a handy technique, and if it will help my fighting, I think I'll go for it, too."

"Great!" Goku said enthusiastically. "We can be training partners together! Well, what do you say, Icarus?"

Gohan sighed resignedly. There was no way he was going to win this battle. "All right."

"Yes! Thank you so much, Icarus!"

"Yeah, thanks a million, man."

"Yes, well..." Gohan was at a loss on what next to say, but after a moment, he shook it off and said, "We have some time now, so why don't we go outside and I'll show you what I know?"

"Sure, sounds good to me."

"OK!"

And they walked out of the waiting area, unaware of the two figures floating near the ceiling, watching them closely. The figures landed on solid ground easily, and they were revealed to be Tien and Chiaotzu.

"Well, what do you think, Tien?" Chiaotzu asked.

"That kid is hiding something, that's for sure now," Tien said. "He just as well came out and said it. The only question that remains is, 'What is it?'"

"We'll find out, Tien," Chiaotzu reassured him. "Don't worry."

"Oh, I know we will, Chiaotzu," Tien replied. "But in the meantime, you should be getting ready for your upcoming match. And, Chiaotzu?"

"Yes, Tien?" Chiaotzu said.

"Try not to crush him too hard," Tien chuckled.

Chiaotzu looked a little surprised by this statement, but he would go to the end of the Earth for Tien. "OK."

As Chiaotzu floated off, Tien stood lost in the myriad of his own thoughts. To his intense disgust, he found that that kid's words still plagued him, renewing their attack on his mental barriers, which had started to crack a little under the strain.

_Honor and duty are at the core of strength_,_ true strength_,_ not the kind Master Shen has tricked you into believing_,_ which diminishes over time._

_You are honorable_,_ Tien. Let go of your anger and hatred and truly be strong..._

A new image swam up in the murky depths of his mind. That kid hovering with a beaten Yamcha in his arms, staring angrily at him. _You were going to break his leg_,_ weren't you?!_ he'd demanded furiously. Tien almost winced at his harsh tone as he replayed it in his head.

_Why do I feel so... small?_ Tien wondered, questioning where that simile had come from, even though he knew it to be accurate. _I've crushed hundreds of opponents like the bugs they were! Yet with one naïve child's simple words_,_ my whole world comes crashing down! Curse you_,_ boy! You've stolen my resolve!_

Tien slammed his fists into the wall, causing them to dent.

_I want it back!_

* * *

The remaining thirty minutes passed by peacefully, with Gohan showing the basics of simple flight to Goku and Yamcha, and even Krillin had decided to call a truce and forgive Gohan, if only to learn this valuable skill too. Gohan had laughed and told him he didn't blame him at all, and that he would tell him and the others the truth when it was time, and now he was left to ponder his words.

_Can I really go back on my promise?_ Gohan asked himself. But as soon as he had thought it, he knew it was no good. He was good to his word, and he would not break it no matter what the circumstances. _But what am I going to do? Maybe my problem is a little more complicated. Piccolo said when you doubt something_,_ it's usually yourself and how you will react to it that you are doubting_,_ not the action itself._ Could this be true? Was Gohan really doubting himself? _Regardless_,_ I'm bound by what I said. I promised to tell them_,_ and __that's__ what I am going to do._

A chime sounded. "Attention, competitors. Recess is now over, so will all the contestants please report back to the temple? That is all."

Goku turned to Krillin. "Well, good luck, Krillin," he said.

Gohan nodded. "I know you haven't completely mastered flying yet, Krillin, so save it for a special occasion," he reminded him.

"Yes, Icarus, I know," Krillin said somewhat agitatedly.

"Do your best out there," Yamcha said. "And be careful. I know firsthand how those pupils of Shen operate. Watch yourself at all times."

Krillin nodded. "Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself, and with this new technique of Icarus's, Chiaotzu won't stand a chance!"

"Remember, Krillin..." Gohan began.

"'Keep an open mind,' yeah, I know, I know," Krillin finished. "Got it."

He ran out of the waiting room and entered the arena, the others following closely behind. Gohan effortlessly levitated up to watch the fight over the dividing wall, and Goku and Yamcha did the same, though not without some strain on their Ki; Gohan could sense it fluctuating slightly, and he knew they wouldn't be able to hold it for long. But then, they probably saw this as a chance to practice it, he realized with some small amount of amusement.

The announcer was back in the ring, and the crowd was cheering.

"All right, after a brief intermission we're back with the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament!" he shouted. "This next match is a sequel of sorts to match number 1, as both Turtle and Crane Houses suit up for a rematch, with Master Roshi's Krillin fighting Master Shen's Chiaotzu! Don't be fooled by their sizes, folks! I have no doubt that with these two wild fighters going head-to-head, anything can happen!"

"Do you guys think Krillin will be able to beat him?" Yamcha asked. "Just level with me. What do you think his odds are out there?"

"Well, they look evenly matched," Gohan said, not telling them he could sense this with his Ki, "but I think the one with the most focus will win."

"Go, Krillin! You can do it!" Goku cheered.

The drums once again began pounding, except the tension in the audience this time was one of terse anticipation, the events of the last match still on their minds. Gohan knew what was coming any second now...

GONG!

"Let the match begin!" the announcer declared.


	10. Midgets Fight!

"Come on!" Krillin said, taking a stance. "Fight!"

Chiaotzu did and said nothing.

Krillin frowned. "Despite what you might think, fighting requires you to move."

Chiaotzu lifted off the ground. Everyone in the audience looked surprised.

"He can do it too?!" Krillin muttered.

Chiaotzu flew fast at Krillin and backhanded him, sending Krillin flying. As Krillin flew through the air, Chiaotzu followed him underneath. As soon as he was near, Chiaotzu bounced up, knocking Krillin higher into the air. He flipped over and flew back, sorely tempted to keep himself suspended in midair, but now was not the time — besides, he was still a novice to flying. He would save that as a surprise trick. But boy, would that show Chiaotzu!

Krillin aimed himself for Chiaotzu, but before he could hit, Chiaotzu moved. Krillin managed to right himself and hit the ground on his feet. He flew back at Chiaotzu, throwing a few punches and kicks while in the air, all of which Chiaotzu dodged or countered, and gravity eventually took its hold on Krillin, and he fell back to the ground.

Chiaotzu landed, and Krillin charged at Chiaotzu, disappearing halfway through. He was heading for...

"Chiaotzu, left!" Tien shouted.

But Chiaotzu was too slow in figuring it out, and Krillin slammed into Chiaotzu, launching himself into a barrage of punches and kicks that Chiaotzu again either dodged or blocked. But with every movement he made Chiaotzu was pushed ever closer to the edge of the ring.

"Way to go, Krillin!" Goku called.

He was at the edge, and with one last punch Krillin fully intended to knock him from the ring... but Chiaotzu jumped and flew back, easily evading Krillin. Krillin growled in frustration, but kept his thoughts to himself.

"The flying technique," Gohan heard Jackie Chun, who had returned after the recess, say, "pure Hermit Crane... nonsense."

"Huh?" said Gohan. "But, Krillin and Yamcha and Goku and me can all fly."

"Eh?!" Jackie exclaimed. "What? How?! That's impossible!" But then he noticed their positions, and that they were not actually grabbing onto the wall at all! "You're right! My gosh! I didn't think anyone outside of Shen's school knew how to do it! But how'd you learn?!"

Gohan chuckled. "Lots of practice, years and years of it," Gohan said. "But, we're missing the match," he added, where Chiaotzu was walking easily in the air back towards the ring.

Meanwhile, Tien had heard every word. _Hmm. The old man has a point. No one outside of the Crane House knows how to fly_,_and yet that kid seems to handle it with ease. Just who is this boy?_ Tien shook off these dark musings with the reassurance that he would figure it out later, and turned his attention back on the fight.

"Come on!" Krillin was yelling. "Hey, stop showing off and get down here!"

"I assure you, folks, these aren't optical illusions!" the announcer said. "Twice now in this tournament have fighters literally walked on air! All I can say is don't miss the upcoming matches, because they promise to be out of this world!"

_OK_,_ Krillin_,_ now what're you gonna do?_ he thought, when it looked like Chiaotzu wasn't going to come down anytime soon. _If I jump attack he could dodge and send me flying out-of-bounds_,_ and if I fly I could use up too much energy and leave myself completely open to a counterassault. What should I do?_

Chiaotzu himself was deep in thought. He was considering using his "special" technique, but Tien — surprisingly — had said not to hurt his opponent too badly (!). _I don't care what happens_,_ I'm not going to break my word to Tien_, he thought resolutely.

"This would be so much easier if I knew how to use the Kamehameha Wave," Krillin mumbled. Then he thought. _Wait a minute! Yamcha mastered it_,_ so I should be able to do it too! Let's see... you put your hands together and say..._

"Kamehameha," said Krillin tentatively, but only a puff of smoke escaped his hands. Well, it was something.

"Hey, baldy," he heard Chiaotzu say.

And while Krillin had been distracted Chiaotzu had floated back down and now punted him into the sky. Krillin got hold of himself in the air, but by that time Chiaotzu had flown up again and launched a barrage of punches at Krillin, all of which Krillin dodged or blocked.

Gravity began to exert its pull on Krillin once again, and Krillin fell, landing easily on his two feet. Chiaotzu flipped over in midair and propelled himself forward at Krillin like a missile. At the last minute Krillin threw up his hands and latched onto Chiaotzu's head, but the momentum of Chiaotzu's charge pushed Krillin backward, straight towards the edge of the ring!

Krillin grunted as he strained to keep in place, but an idea occurred to him and he brought his leg up into Chiaotzu's stomach. The air escaped Chiaotzu's lips as Krillin's knee made contact, and Krillin, still holding onto Chiaotzu, twisted around and slammed Chiaotzu into the ground.

The crowd cheered uproariously.

"No!" Shen exclaimed from the crowd. "How could a student of Roshi's have so much skill?" Privately, he was wondering why Chiaotzu hadn't used his special attack by now. What was going on with that infernal pupil of his?

"Chiaotzu, stay strong!" Tien advised from his place on the other side of the wall.

Chiaotzu picked himself up off the ring floor, dusting his clothes off. "Right, Tien."

Before Chiaotzu could say anything further, Krillin threw himself into attack at Chiaotzu again, but as he got close to him he disappeared, doubling around and coming at Chiaotzu from behind. Chiaotzu was too slow in reacting and Krillin got in a good hit on Chiaotzu's undefended back.

Chiaotzu went flying, skidding to a stop at the other end of the ring.

The crowd cheered even louder than before.

"Chiaotzu!" Shen called from the audience, "quit fooling around and finish him! Use your 'special' technique!"

Chiaotzu knew his priorities. On the one hand, Tien had suggested he not seriously harm his opponent, but he was Master Shen's pupil, and he had given Chiaotzu a direct order. He was duty-bound, and would follow Shen to the letter. Besides, Tien's suggestion had been just that... a suggestion. Right? So that meant if things got too bad, he was free to use it. And things were looking pretty bad now.

"OK," said Chiaotzu, rising into the air again.

Krillin growled angrily when he saw Chiaotzu wasn't coming down. "What? Again? Come on, get down here and face me like a man!" he shouted. "Stop hiding up there!"

Chiaotzu's answer was a smirk. "Watch closely. I've got a surprise for you. You're going to love this."

Chiaotzu held up his right index finger, gathering energy in it. Tien looked smug while all the others watched apprehensively.

_What's he doing?_ Krillin wondered. _I don't like the looks of this._

Chiaotzu aimed his finger at Krillin with a shout of "Dodon!" and an orange beam of energy shot at Krillin. Gohan could sense the amount of Ki in that beam and knew Krillin was in big trouble if it hit.

"Krillin! Move!" Gohan shouted. "Don't let it touch you!"

Krillin jumped back, easily avoiding the beam.

In the audience, a heavily bandaged man saw the attack and fainted.

Shen chuckled. "That's going to be your friend if he stays in the ring any longer," he said to Bulma and the others. They looked shocked and scared for Krillin.

Chiaotzu was summoning more Ki into his finger, preparing to use the attack again. Krillin looked worried.

"Dodon Ray!" Chiaotzu cried, throwing another beam at Krillin, which Krillin dodged once again.

Now Chiaotzu started shooting more of these Dodon Ray attacks at Krillin, but thankfully Krillin was able to avoid every single one of them.

"Oh, man, gimme a break," Krillin said. "What kind of attack is that?"

"Dodon Ray!" Goku suddenly exclaimed. Gohan and the others turned to stare at him. "That's the same technique Mercenary Tao used!"

_Mercenary Tao?_ Gohan thought. _Does he mean General Tao_,_ that same person who fought me in Lime's village?_

Gohan wasn't the only one apparently interested in this. This seemed to have caught Tien's attention as well, and he settled down onto the ground, stalking over to Goku with an enraged expression on his features.

"What did you say?" he demanded. "Who has the same technique as Chiaotzu?"

"Hey, bozo, get lost," Yamcha snapped. "Goku doesn't have to answer to you or anyone!"

"Shove off!" Tien snarled. "It was only a twist of luck that you escaped my fury last time, but I won't show you the same mercy if you don't butt out of matters that don't concern you!"

"What did you say?!" Yamcha said angrily, taking a fighting stance, but Gohan grabbed onto him, hoping to prevent hostilities from erupting.

"No, not here, Yamcha," Gohan said softly.

"It's OK, Yamcha," Goku said, floating down to face Tien. "The Dodon Ray was the same technique Mercenary Tao used before I killed him."

"You're a liar!" Tien shouted. "There's no way Tao could have fallen to a little twerp like you!"

Gohan was intrigued. _Who is this Tao person and what is it about his death that's causing such a ruckus?_

"It's the truth!" Goku retorted. "Tao killed my friend's father and I beat him!"

Now there was an expression of great sadness on Tien's face mingled in with the rage. "He was a great man," he said somberly. "When did this happen? Tell me!"

"Three years ago, I guess," Goku replied.

Tien seemed lost in thought.

"Now, is that all, or is there anything else we can help clear up for you, Tien?" Yamcha snapped.

Growling, Tien stomped away.

"Huh, I wonder what all that was about," Yamcha said.

Gohan had to agree.

"I know," said Jackie Chun. He turned to his star pupil. "Goku, was that true? Did you really kill Mercenary Tao?"

"Yes, Jackie, I really did," Goku said, looking slightly annoyed that people didn't believe him. "Why does everyone keep doubting me? It happened just like I said."

"What is it, Jackie?" Yamcha asked. "So Goku killed this Mercenary Tao person. He didn't sound like such a charmer to me. What's the big deal?"

"Yeah, tell us, Jackie," Gohan piped up.

"The man Goku destroyed... was Master Shen's brother," he answered gravely.

Gohan looked surprised.

"No way!" Yamcha said. "Master Shen has a brother?"

"Yeah, I didn't know he had a brother either," Goku agreed. "They don't look anything alike, but then again, Master Roshi looks nothing like his sister Baba, except for the whiskers."

"Goku, quit joking around," Yamcha chided. "Don't you understand how serious this is?"

Gohan nodded. "Master Shen is surely going to want revenge for what you did to Tao, Goku."

"But, I had to kill him," Goku protested. "He tried to hurt me and kill my friends!"

"I don't think that's going to matter to him," Gohan said.

Jackie nodded in agreement. "I only hope Shen's contamination doesn't spread to his pupils."

Back in the ring, Chiaotzu was still firing off dozens of those Dodon Rays at Krillin, but still Krillin continued to dodge them. In the audience, Shen was looking extremely pleased. Now that Chiaotzu was using his special technique, there was no possible way he could lose.

"That's right, girl," Shen said to Bulma, "if you value your friend's life, you'll persuade him to quit the match before he gets himself killed."

"Krillin, give it up!" Bulma shouted reluctantly.

"Warriors don't give up in the middle of the fight!" Oolong retorted. "He'll win," he added confidently.

One of Chiaotzu's blasts came so close to them that the wind blew some of Launch's hairs across her face, and she sneezed, transforming into the blond-haired vixen that was her other half. She stood up, looking haughty.

"Hey, cue ball, buck up!" she yelled to Krillin. "Show some backbone, will ya?!"

In the ring, Krillin was now rolling to dodge the blasts, some coming as close as a few inches off the mark, but still they missed, all of them.

"Krillin, be careful!" Yamcha called. "You're heading out-of-bounds!"

It was true; Krillin's roll was taking him directly towards the edge of the arena. But before he went over, he latched onto the end of the ring, and hung there. Chiaotzu fired another Dodon Ray at Krillin, which Krillin leaped to the side to avoid, and it only succeeded in charring one of the tournament workers' face.

"Nice move, Krillin!" Goku complimented.

"Yeah, great work, man," Yamcha added. "Just hang tough. Don't throw in the towel yet!"

Meanwhile, Krillin was panting in the middle of the ring.

_I can't keep fighting like this!_ he thought. He thought of something. _That's it! It has to work!_

He phased from existence, bouncing around the stage and shouting out at random intervals, "Left! Right! Left! Right! Right! Right! Right! Left! Left! Right! Left! Left!" effectively confusing Chiaotzu, who was slowly floating down from the job of trying to figure out which way Krillin was going.

"That should about do it," Krillin said, and he jumped onto the wall, then flew at Chiaotzu, aiming with a kick that sent Chiaotzu falling towards the ring.

Krillin tried to follow up with a punch, but Chiaotzu flew to the side and levitated back up into the air.

_Well_,_ now what_,_ Krillin?_ Krillin wondered. _I could use my flying technique_,_ but I still don't have enough experience! Not to mention that would definitely give away my secret. Hmm. Wait. The Kamehameha! It's my only hope._

From the stands, Shen suddenly shouted, "Chiaotzu, stop playing and finish him! I want Krillin and all of Roshi's students dead!"

Apparently, Tien had just informed Shen of his brother's fate.

"You see?" Gohan said to Goku. "It's just like I told you. He blames you for Tao's death. I have a feeling this tournament is about to get a great deal worse."

Goku looked worried too by now.

"Hm-hmm. I fear defeating Master Roshi's students will no longer be enough for Shen," Jackie put his two cents in.

"Get ready, here comes Dodon," Chiaotzu told Krillin, preparing yet another Dodon Ray on his fingertip.

Krillin had his hands cupped to the side in the trademark stance of one performing the Kamehameha Wave. "Ka... me..."

"Oh no! Krillin, don't do it!" Jackie shouted.

"Don't do what?" Goku wondered.

"He's going to try to use the Kamehameha again," Yamcha replied.

"Krillin, you're not strong enough to handle the Kamehameha!" Jackie said.

"... ha... me..." Krillin continued.

"Brash child," Jackie said in irritation. "The Kamehameha is a dangerous weapon. He's not ready!"

Now the others tried reasoning with him.

"Krillin! Don't do it, think of something else!" Yamcha said. "Don't risk your life with this!"

"Dodon!" Chiaotzu said, increasing power to the Dodon Ray resting on his finger while a blue beam of energy appeared in Krillin's hands.

"Krillin, don't!" Jackie screamed. "You'll die!"

"Krillin!" Gohan said concernedly.

"RAY!" Chiaotzu finished, throwing the beam at Krillin, which hit and an explosion of light and sound enveloped them all.

The explosion subsided, and the tournament arena came into focus again.

And when it did, there was nothing there.

Krillin was gone.


	11. Arithmetic Adversary!

There was a large black scorch mark on the spot in the arena where, only moments before, Krillin had been standing. The warrior in question was nowhere to be seen.

Up in the air, Chiaotzu looked surprised. "He's... gone!"

Suddenly, a shape materialized directly behind him, wearing a red gi with a bald head and an orb of blue energy in his cupped hands. It was Krillin!

"Right here!" he said.

Chiaotzu turned.

"HAAAAAAAAH!" Krillin finished, and a huge Kamehameha erupted out of his palms and sped towards Chiaotzu, slamming full-force into him and sending him careening out of control and flying towards the ground.

"It worked!" exulted Krillin.

"Look, Chiaotzu's gonna fall right out of the ring," Yamcha observed. "That was a nice shot, Krillin!"

"Yeah, go Krillin!" Goku cheered happily.

"Chiaotzu!" Tien shouted worriedly from the crowd next to Master Shen.

Gohan said nothing. He had sensed Krillin's Ki as he moved around and used the Kamehameha on Chiaotzu, but he could also sense it hadn't been as strong as it could have been had he used a full-powered Kamehameha; apparently, Krillin had wanted to conserve energy.

And indeed, just before he hit the ground Chiaotzu managed to gather enough of his Ki to cushion himself on the air, and gingerly floated back to the ring, looking mightily winded and panting exhaustedly.

"Aww, give me a break!" Krillin complained. "You're telling me after that he's still floating?!"

Aside from his torn clothing and the drain on his Ki, Chiaotzu looked relatively okay.

In the crowd, Tien was surprised and more than a little angry.

_I didn't think a student of Roshi's was capable of such skill_, he thought. _He dodged and then attacked within seconds!_

"Whoa," said Bulma from the audience. "It's not that often I'm surprised, but I didn't think Krillin was that strong."

For a few moments Krillin and Chiaotzu simply stood there, staring at each other.

"Contestants, please keep fighting!" the tournament announcer urged. "The match is still in session!"

"I'm not usually forced to resort to this, but for you I'll use my ultimate attack," Chiaotzu told Krillin.

"Ultimate?" Krillin repeated.

"Most excellent," said Shen from the audience. "You know what's coming next," he added to Tien.

"Oh yes," Tien replied. "This fight won't last much longer."

Krillin jumped and flew at Chiaotzu with a kick, but Chiaotzu leapt to avoid it, jumping back towards Krillin and propelling himself into a spin, using his near-bald head as a point in a variant of an attack he had used earlier. He smashed into Krillin's face, knocking him back.

Using the dividing wall as a springboard Chiaotzu launched himself at Krillin again.

"That's not ultimate!" Krillin retorted. "I can do that!"

As he neared, Krillin threw himself at Chiaotzu in the same manner, but Chiaotzu's spinning head increased power to his charge, and Krillin was once again knocked helplessly to the side.

"Krillin!" Goku said in concern.

Krillin was nursing a bump on his head. "And they say I'm hard-headed," he grumbled.

"Unless Krillin does something, Chiaotzu has the advantage," Gohan said.

"Come on, Krillin!" Yamcha cheered. "Don't give up on us now, you've gotten this far!"

Chiaotzu, up in the air, threw himself back at Krillin with a cry of, "Bombs away!"

"Watch out!" Gohan shouted.

Seeing Chiaotzu at the last minute, Krillin leaped to the side to dodge, and Chiaotzu slammed into the tiled floor, creating a small crater.

Krillin chuckled. "Sorry pal, but you won't catch me off guard so easily!"

But Chiaotzu emerged from the crater, looking completely unaffected!

"Boy has a high tolerance for pain," Jackie noted.

Gohan nodded. He remembered a time when he was six years old, watching as a small figure latched onto the larger back of a hulking brute with a tail and armor, named Nappa, and how that figure, Chiaotzu, had valiantly sacrificed himself despite a merciless thrashing from Nappa, even as Gohan himself was so terrified he felt he couldn't watch, using his Ki to detonate, intending to take Nappa down with him.

Even though it hadn't worked and Chiaotzu died for nothing, Gohan still remembered the courage and heroism Chiaotzu had displayed for years to come. He clenched his fist.

_I hope there's still some of that Chiaotzu left_, Gohan thought sadly, knowing how deep Shen's corruption ran.

Back with the fight, Chiaotzu was now using a cloth to clean off his dust-covered head. It shone brilliant in the sun once he had removed it.

Shen smirked in the crowd. "Good boy," he said. "Stay calm, focus on your target, and annihilate him."

"I won't let you down, Master," Chiaotzu declared, throwing himself into another spin attack. But Krillin wasn't moving!

"What's he doing?" Yamcha demanded. "Krillin, move!"

Gohan saw at the last second what Krillin was going to do, and indeed, he grabbed onto Chiaotzu's head much like he had done earlier, Chiaotzu once again pushing him towards the edge of the arena, but Krillin held strong, staying in position even as he stood on the lip of the stage, and eventually Chiaotzu's momentum died down, and he stopped spinning.

Chiaotzu jumped down, looking a little disappointed.

"Sorry, but you'll have to come up with something better than that!" Krillin said. "That trick won't work on me anymore!"

"Lucky," Tien said, looking grim. "Next time Chiaotzu won't play so nice."

Tien didn't know how to feel about that; for some reason, it felt like there was a great conflict within him, raging with all the power and burning intensity of the glowing sun above. He hated that kid, Icarus, and his lies and false promises of power. Thanks to that little imp, he felt like something as hard as stone had been set in his path and was barring him from his true nature.

_What is it?_ he wondered. _What could it be? That kid is wrong; I'm a killer_,_ like Tao! That is my destiny! Shen has shown me power and for that_,_ I have sold him my soul. "Duty" and "honor" limit you_,_ weaken you_,_ all the while denying you the real pleasures of life! Arrgh_,_ I almost hope that Icarus kid does get through the tournament so I can pound the snot out of him for what he's done to me!_

Shen looked over at Tien. "Huh?" he said. "Tien, is something wrong? You're looking a little under the weather."

Tien regained his composure and did something he hadn't done to his Master in a while: Lie.

"I'm feeling fine, Master," he said. "Just a little concerned for Chiaotzu, but I almost feel sorry for poor little Krillin."

Shen cackled menacingly. "Ah yes, too true! Soon there won't be any meat left on his bones, not even for the birds!"

Tien nodded, wondering all the while how he truly felt about that.

Back in the ring, Krillin was dominating Chiaotzu, and finally Chiaotzu, seeing Krillin was going to win, threw out his hands and concentrated deeply. Krillin froze, holding his stomach. Chiaotzu laughed softly, still with his palms out, and hovered back away from Krillin.

Gohan gasped; he could sense strong psychic waves emanating from Chiaotzu and into Krillin's body, effectively paralyzing him.

"Oh no!" he said. "You guys, I think Krillin's in trouble!"

"No kidding," Yamcha said. "Man, what's Chiaotzu doing to him?!"

"Oh no, Krillin!" Goku yelled. "Fight it! You can do it, Krillin!"

"How many special techniques does Chiaotzu have?" Jackie muttered to himself.

"I haven't felt this bad since... when was the last time Launch cooked?" Krillin muttered through the strain.

Chiaotzu floated closer, and he kicked Krillin into the wall. Chiaotzu chuckled evilly.

"My stomach... feels... like it's on fire!" Krillin groaned.

"Don't give up, Krillin!" Gohan called. "Beat him! Focus!"

"Krillin, get back up!" Goku said. "Please! Fight him!"

"Ha," said Shen from the audience. "Your encouragement, is amusing but futile. Why give the boy false hope?" He adopted a very ugly look on his face now. He spoke directly to Goku. "Chiaotzu will destroy him, but his demise will be on your hands. For the death of my brother Tao!"

Chiaotzu resumed his campaign, kicking Krillin and finally knocking him back, all with his legs. Gohan was the first to realize it.

_He's using only his feet!_ he thought. _That must mean he needs his hands to maintain the connection!_

"Krillin, do something!" Gohan encouraged. "He needs his hands to keep you under control! You have to exploit that somehow!"

Goku looked awed. "Really? That's incredible!" he said. "How did you figure that out?"

"I noticed Chiaotzu wasn't using his hands," Gohan explained, "so I deduced he must need them to keep Krillin frozen."

"Wow!" Yamcha said. "You're a smart kid, I've gotta hand it to you, I'm impressed."

Gohan chuckled.

"But, will Krillin be able to exploit that as a weakness?" Master Roshi, as always the calm voice of reason, managed to bring the attention of the others back onto the match.

_Icarus is right!_ Krillin was thinking. _Chiaotzu needs his hands to control his powers. I've got to act now_,_ and stop him before he turns me into mincemeat... and I think I've got the perfect solution._

"You think you're clever, huh?" Krillin taunted him.

"Well, I'm no genius, but I'm smart enough," Chiaotzu admitted, "to know you're stalling."

Just as Chiaotzu was coming in for another attack, Krillin blurted out, "What's 3 plus 4?"

Chiaotzu stopped, looking confused. "Huh?" he said.

"Come on, that was easy!" Krillin further insulted Chiaotzu. "You've got to think faster than that!"

Chiaotzu removed his hands from their position in containing Krillin and used them to try and solve the equation.

"Let's see, 1... 3, 2..." he said in confusion.

"Wrong, 7!" Krillin said, free from Chiaotzu's psychic paralysis. "But he's your other 5!" he shouted, slamming his fist into Chiaotzu's stomach, causing his eyes to pop. Chiaotzu staggered back, clutching his stomach in great agony.

"Now's your chance, Krillin!" Goku yelled.

Krillin launched himself at Chiaotzu again, but Chiaotzu seemed to get his bearings back and once again held out his hands, causing Krillin to stop short and clutch over his stomach.

Chiaotzu cackled.

"Nice work, Chiaotzu," Shen commented from the audience. "It seems that pest is a glutton for punishment!"

"I may have trouble counting, but one thing's for sure," Chiaotzu said. "My ten beats your 5!"

"16 plus 27!" Krillin shouted.

Chiaotzu looked confused, and he removed his hands again, trying to count it all out manually, even as Gohan had figured it out in his head to be 43 instantly.

"9 minus 1!" Krillin continued, further confusing poor Chiaotzu.

Once Krillin was freed from his hold he threw his strongest punch into Chiaotzu's face, and Chiaotzu was sent flying from the ring and out-of-bounds, making Krillin the winner! Chiaotzu himself looked to be unconscious.

"The winner by knockout is Krillin!" the announcer blared.

"The answer," Krillin said, extremely smugly, "is 8."

"Yes, all right, Krillin!" Gohan shouted.

Gohan was so excited that he momentarily forgot himself and threw his arms around Goku. Goku looked shocked, and Gohan, remembering his situation, quickly released him and jumped back, his face a flaming red as he stared down at the ground, highly embarrassed.

Goku grinned. "Aw, hey, you don't have to be embarrassed," he said, putting his own arms around Gohan in a big hug.

Gohan was surprised, but eventually he melted into the hug. He could always feel safe when his father took him in those strong arms, and with a jolt he remembered this could be the last time he hugged his father, and it took all of his enormous self-control not to fall into a fit of weeping right then and there.

Meanwhile, in the stands, Shen was boiling with rage. "Chiaotzu, how could you disappoint me like that?" he snarled. "I was counting on you! How would ever have guessed a fighter needed mathematics?" he added as an afterthought.

The others had walked up to Krillin and were congratulating him on his victory.

"You did good, Krillin," Gohan told him. He leaned in closer for a whisper. "I'm glad you saved your flying technique, because you know who you're going to be fighting in the semifinals."

"Tien!" Krillin exclaimed, looking suddenly sick, as though Chiaotzu had put him back under his psychic paralysis again.

"Krillin, I'm very proud of you, you did an excellent job," Yamcha complimented him. Then he grew serious. "Be careful in the semifinals. I know how Tien fights. He's unlike anyone we've ever faced. Be on alert."

Krillin nodded, still looking incredibly leery at the thought of fighting Tien. Then he turned to Gohan and said, "By the way, thank you, Icarus. If it hadn't been for you, Chiaotzu would have beaten me! Thank you for the wonderful tip."

Gohan chuckled while rubbing the back of his head. "Thank you, Krillin."

Then the announcer came in with another announcement. "The tournament committee has ruled that that's enough action for one day, folks. There's going to be a brief intermission. Match 2 is scheduled for tomorrow morning at eight, so go home, get plenty of rest, and be here tomorrow when defending champion Jackie Chun battles it out with Vice-Champion Goku!"

Slowly, one by one, the stands emptied until it was only Bulma and all the rest of their friends left. Gohan had seen Shen collect Chiaotzu and storm off, no doubt furious at learning what had befallen his brother at the hands of Goku, not to mention the fact that his youngest pupil had just been defeated by his rival's other pupils.

"Hey guys, what do you say we all go out to eat?" Bulma said. "My treat!"

"Yippee!" Goku shouted. "Food!"

Gohan chuckled. "Somehow, I knew you were going to say that."

Goku smiled at Gohan, taking his hand as they walked happily away from the tournament grounds.

Meanwhile, in a secluded spot not too far away, a lean, insect-looking creature with a green exoskeleton and black wings with a helmet-like face peeked out from around a bush, smirking heinously.

"That's right, Gohan," he said smoothly. "Enjoy the time you have remaining with your friends, for at the end of this tournament, I can put my plan into action, and you will be defeated. Sleep well, boy, the time of your demise is fast approaching."

Chuckling, the creature known as Cell placed two fingertips to his forehead and vanished, leaving the tournament grounds as bare and as empty as they had been before.


End file.
